


Back To You

by LightSage89



Series: Jak and Daxter Novelization [1]
Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: F/M, Jak 2 Novelization, Language, Major Illness, Rap/Non Con Stuff is Just Attempted, Revenge Plot, Violence, description of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 00:56:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 45
Words: 129,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15570186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightSage89/pseuds/LightSage89
Summary: My novelization of the PS2 video game "Jak II".After traveling through a strange portal, Jak finds himself in a strange land and is quickly imprisoned. Held against his will and tortured to near death for two years leaves behind a man who has been boiled down to feeling little except rage and hatred.After he escapes prison, he dedicates his life to hunting down the men who wronged him and killing them. But little does he know that the path of rage and hatred is a short one that will end with his death. If he is to survive, he must find a way to become stronger than his instincts.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Jak and Daxter series (the good ones) are owned by Naughty Dog.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act 1: The Underground

(Sandover, March 15, 1767. Author's POV.)

"Okay," Keira said as she added the last strange object, a giant red ruby, to the front panel of the small vehicle that Jak had found at the Silos. "I think that just about does it." Keira grabbed a small rag from the hood of the vehicle and began to wipe the grease off her hands. Not that it did any good as her hands were permanently stained and the rag in question was, if anything, worse.

Jak sat on a near-by bench, watching Keira… or, more acutely, the disgusting rag. Unable to say a single word, he glared at the rag, and twisted his face in an expression that said, 'That rag is disgusting! Why don't you wash it?'

Keira laughed at the look on Jak's face. "Then why don't you make yourself useful for once?" Keira said as she chucked the rag at Jak's head, which he deftly caught with a swift movement. "All you ever do since Gol and Maia is sit around!"

Jak began to shake with silent laughter. And it still seemed weird to Keira to watch someone laugh without making a sound. But, Jak WAS a mute, after all, and he couldn't help it. Once Jak stopped 'laughing' he glared at Keira and then the machine as if to say, 'I help! I helped with that!'

"Of coarse you did." Keira laughed. There was silence for a moment. Being around Jak all the time, you'd think that Keira was used to silence… if it weren't for Daxter. Daxter, Jak's best friend, constant companion, and local talking animal, didn't have the strength or bravery of his best friend, so he used his mouth to get by. "Where's Daxter?" Keira asked.

Jak merely shrugged as if to say, 'Oh, around.' More silence, except this new silence was much more tense. Jak gazed at Keira's back and she could feel his heated gaze on her. She tried to busy herself with unnecessary check-ups on the machine as she tried to keep from melting. Finally, Keira couldn't ignore him any longer, and she turned to face him. He gazed at Keira with an expression that Keira had only seen him wear once of twice… the most recent being that day at the Silos. Keira felt her knees go weak under his ocean-blue eyes and it didn't help that the temperature seemed to have risen a thousand degrees. Somehow, for her life, Keira didn't remember HOW she ended up in Jak's arms, she was just… there.

"Jak… I…" But the words were drown out as their faces…their lips inched closer together. Keira's eyes closed as the moment neared and she could feel Jak's breath on her lips. _So, this is what this feels like?_ Keira thought to herself… before…

"What the HECK is going on in here?" A loud, obnoxious voice demanded. The temperature lowered and the moment was gone. Jak and Keira's heads turned at the same exact time and glared at the doorway. Daxter was leaning against the door frame.

"Nothing happened!" Keira practically yelled, blushing a deep red with embarrassment. Then Keira noticed that Jak still had his arms around her waist and she quickly pushed him off. "Jak! What do you think you're doing?" Keira fake yelled at him. Jak's face was beet red with embarrassment also.

"Yeah… right." Daxter sighed; and, most amazingly, he completely forgot about what he had almost witnessed. Keira fumed at Daxter. _Why did he always have to interrupt Jak and I…_ Daxter interrupted her thoughts as he pointed to a small spherical object on the far left hand side of the console. "What does this do?" He asked.

"I don't know."Keira admitted, walking over to the object in question and examining it. Keira pointed at the Precursor writing on the object. "Those symbols say this object is called 'The Time Map.' It says 'Ye who activates the Time Map, beware. For thou journeys though Time and Space.' I wonder what that could mean."Keira thought about this for a second. Jak stood in a corner, still looking embarrassed, but like he was thinking about something too. _Maybe he… nah. He was just thinking about the Time Map mystery… right?_

"Knowing Precursor crap like I do, it probably means we're going to be eaten by a giant Wumpbee or something." Daxter complained. Keira gave a quick look over at Jak, who was shivering. Keira laughed, Jak hated Wumpbees.

Suddenly Samos, Keira's father, walked in. "Keira, how's the Machine coming?" He asked.

"It's done." Keira replied, and then she paused and added. "I think. However, it should run tomorrow."

"Good. Because the Ring is done outside." Samos said, and then he paused. "I need to talk to you two." He said looking at Keira and Daxter. "We've already decided that Jak and I should go… but you two aren't as obligated to go. You could stay in Sandover…" Then Samos added in an undertone. "Though I wouldn't…"

But Daxter interrupted. "And miss out on the grand adventure?" Daxter gasped like it was the most unthinkable thing in the world. "No way are you getting me out of this one, Grandpa Green! I'ma going!"

"I won't let you go anywhere without me!" Keira said to her father. "And," She added as an after thought. "I go with Jak." Keira flashed a smile at Jak who grinned sheepishly.

"Good thing." Samos said. "We mustn't upset the Circle of Time." Everyone in the room stared at Samos. He noticed this and quickly spoke again. "Uh… better get to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day." Samos left the room.

"Night, buddy." Daxter said to Jak as he turned to walk out, and then he looked at Keira and added. "Night, baby." He turned and walked out, and she rolled her eyes. Now that Daxter was gone, Jak and Keira were alone once more.

Keira looked up at Jak, ever silent, and nodded her head formally. "Good night, Jak." She said. In response, Jak nodded his head in return. This, for some reason, got Keira all upset and she turned and half walked/half ran from the room, leaving Jak alone.

Keira walked up to her desk and pulled out a small diary and a pen. She opened it up to the first empty page and began to write:

_'Dear Diary,_

_Why do I get myself into these situations? I've known for years that I had feelings for Jak. We almost kissed at the Silos and it almost happened again tonight. (Daxter again) Now… I feel stupid writing this down. But… I think I love Jak! Again I ask, why do I get myself into these situations? I know that people say that finding love is the greatest thing in the world, but… I can't help but feel angry that Jak will never be able to tell me, 'I love you, Keira.' My love is a mute! And, unless there is some miracle, he'll always be that way. If only I could hear him tell me that he loved me in his real voice… not facial expressions, sign language, or paper. Then, I would be able to love him the way he deserves to be loved… a love without doubt. Maybe one day I'll get over Jak's mutism and I'll love him, voice or no voice._

_Oh, I almost forgot, the Machine is finished and we're testing it tomorrow. Can't wait._ '

With that, Keira closed the diary and put it away. Keira looked out the small window. The moon and the Green Star were reflected off the surface of the deep black/purple ocean. The stars were out and Keira found some of the constellations that she and Jak had found as children.

After a while, she noticed just how dark it was. It must've been nearly midnight. She got up from her spot by the window, fell into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.


	2. Through the Rift

(Samos' Journal entry for March 16, 1767)

'For every age, there is a time of trial. The rocks faced such a fire before they were the strength beneath our feet. The plants braved vast winds before their roots could give us life. As a Sage of considerable years, I have known only one such great ordeal… yet the hero it created was a champion… for all time.

Yet… for many weeks now, I have wondered if I should really let Jak go though with this. I know what happens. Could I live knowing all the people that are going to be hurt by this? If Jak knew… I don't think he'd go. Many people are going to sacrifice everything in the next several years of Jak's journey. But Jak himself will lose the one thing that he holds dearest… his humanity…

* * *

(Keira's Room)

Keira was asleep, and she could barely hear the voice that was calling out to her though the darkness. "Keira…" But Keira was so warm, she didn't want to leave. "Keira… wake up…"

"Just five more minutes…" Keira yawned as she rolled over in her bed.

"Keira, you need to get ready." The voice said though her sleepiness.

"Ready for what?" Keira asked, sleepily.

"Don't you remember?" The voice asked. "The machine?"

"Oh… OH!" Keira sat bolt upright in her bed as she remembered that they were testing the machine that day. She saw that the person that woke her up was her father, Samos.

"You'd better pack." Samos said. "I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, so pack as much as you can." Samos left Keira alone in the room.

Keira rubbed her eyes to wake up the rest of the way. As soon as she felt awake enough she got up and began packing her possessions in a small bag. Once she was done, she put her journal in the bag. "Might as well take that." Keira said to herself as she threw the bag over her shoulder, took one last look around her room, and then walked out.

She walked out of her workshop and up the ramp that led towards where the Rider waited, along with the Ring, supported by several poles just off the island. Occasional white sparks fell from the ring and landed on Keira's skin, causing her to giggle from the sheer feeling it left. Jak had once told her, by way of paper, that it was Light Eco. If one little spark could uplift the spirit that much, Keira couldn't imagine what a whole glob of Light Eco would feel like… she'd have to ask Jak, and speaking of Jak…

Jak stood by the Rider, smiling up at the Light Eco in the Ring. Daxter seemed to be taking a nap of the front of the Rider. Samos was there too, he was talking to Jak.

"Today's the big day, Jak." Samos said. "I hope you are prepared… for whatever happens."

"I think I've figured out most of this machine." Keira said, walking up to them and putting a hand on the machine. "It interacts somehow with that large Precursor Ring." Keira sat down of the far right side of the machine's bench seat. "I just hope we didn't break anything moving it here to the lab…" Jak sat down on Keira's left side. Keira could sense Jak there, she turned to look at him, he was grinning at her.

Suddenly Daxter popped up between the two teenagers. "Easy for you to say! We did all the heavy lifting!" Daxter said, pointing to Jak and himself. Keira almost said that JAK was the one who did the heavy lifting while Daxter sat on the sidelines and gave helpful advise. Not that it was very helpful, Daxter had nearly let Jak go over a cliff and fall into the ocean below, had Keira not noticed the impending crisis, he would've been fish bait. Daxter settled himself between Jak and Keira, which neither liked, and reached out to touch the Time Map when a voice stopped him.

"Daxter!" Daxter flinched, withdrawing his hand. However, Samos continued to lecture him. "Don't touch anything! Though the Precursors vanished long ago, the artifacts they left behind can still do great harm…"

"Or great good." Keira interrupted. "If you figure out how to use them."

"I've had… some experience with such things." Samos said, sitting on Jak's left. So, from left to right, there was Samos, Jak, Daxter, and then Keira. "I know you can make it work." Samos said to Jak.

Jak leaned forward and studied the ruby gem. After a second's hesitation, he pressed it. The Time Map activated. "Looks like Jak's still got the mojo!" Daxter exclaimed, Jak grinned. Keira leaned forward to study the inner workings of the Time Map.

"Interesting." Keira breathed, watching the orbs dance inside the Map. "It appears to be reading some preset coordinates!" Suddenly, there was a deep rumbling as a spark that looked like Dark Eco shot at the Ring. The Light Eco instantly turned into a substance that looked like Dark Eco; it swirled within the Ring in a most hypnotic way.

"Wow…" Daxter breathed as he stared at the Ring. "Look at that!"

Suddenly, a terrible voice rang from the Ring. "Finally!" It boomed, "The last Rift Gate has been opened!" Hundreds of strange flying creatures began to fly out of the Ring, and each one had a strange, glowing gem on their foreheads.

"AUGH!" Daxter screamed as he hid behind Jak. "What are those things?"

"So this is how it happened…" Samos whispered, but no one else heard him, because they were slightly distracted by another monster coming out of the Rift. It was the biggest and ugliest of the lot. It roared with animalistic fury, slime dripping from its huge fangs. Four eyes glared at the group, and a huge claw pointed straight at the little vehicle that thefriends occupied.

"You cannot hide from me, boy!" It roared.

"Do something, Jak!" Keira screamed in pure terror. Jak glared up at the monster. It must've been just him, but the monster looked strangely familiar, like he had seen it before…

Daxter panicked, "What does this do?" He asked, pointing at a random button. "Or how 'bout this?" Another button. "Everybody, press all the buttons!" The monster growled just as Jak pressed the ruby button again. The Rider shot forward, straight toward the beast, but the Rider slipped safely past and into the Ring.

"What was that thing?" Keira asked out loud as the Rider was catapulted into a long tunnel of purple light, no one answered Keira's question.

Instead, Samos yelled, "Hang on, everyone!"

"AUGHHHHHH!" Daxter screamed as the Rider accelerated to an impossible speed. "I want off this thing!" Daxter screamed.

Unfortunately, he got his wish. A bolt of Dark energy hit the small rider. As a result, the rider exploded into a thousand pieces. All four separated. Keira fell to the right, Samos to the left, and Jak and Daxter continued toward the light at the end of the tunnel. "Find yourself, Jak!" Samos yelled as Jak and Daxter disappeared into the light…

* * *

For Jak and Daxter, the tunnel had suddenly ended and the pair were high in the air, shooting down towards the ground. Jak felt himself hit the ground, hard, and he gave out a loud grunt. Jak lay there on the cold, hard ground for only a few seconds, just long enough to see if he had broken anything. Everything seemed in order, except that he was sore from impacting with the hard metal ground at high speed.

Jak paused. _Metal?_ Jak lifted himself up into kneeling position as he took in his surroundings and gasped. Everything, not just the ground, was made of metal, and he seemed to be in a 'city.' He knew the Precursors once built cities and, for a crazy moment, he wondered if he had found where the Precursors had been hidden for the eons. This theory was quickly dismissed at the sight of other elves, running away from him. This must be some sort of advanced Elvin race that lived on another part of the planet then from were he came.

Jak pushed these thoughts out of his head as he looked around some more. A lot of the people were riding around on zoomers more advanced than he had ever seen, none of them had propellers and they were able to get as high as ten feet off the ground with absolutely no effort.

Jak looked off into the distance. A single building towered above the rest. A clanging noise caught Jak's attention. He looked down and was greeted by the sight of Daxter, throwing a piece of metal machinery that he had been holding away. "Okay, I swear!" Daxter said, pointing at the offending piece of metal. "That's the last time I ever, EVER, touch any stupid Precursor crap!"

Jak shook his head in exasperation for his friend. Jak looked at his surrounding once more. The strange thing was, even though he could never remember seeing this place, it looked strangely familiar. Not only that but, in a way he couldn't explain, he felt he knew exactly where he was.

One of the strange advanced zoomers passed by, on that had two seats instead of the one that Jak was used to. Quite suddenly, an image passed before his mind's eye.

_He was riding in the passenger side of one of these zoomers. Someone was driving, he couldn't make out the face of the man, but the man laughed insanely as he wove expertly in and out of traffic. People said he was a demon, but he was a protector… one who could be trusted…_

As quickly as the memory, or whatever it was, came, it faded away to nothing. Jak shook his head. Now was the time to focus, not slip into strange hallucinations.

"So, Jak, where do you think we are?" Daxter asked. Jak tried not to react to the question, he was still have that feeling that he knew where he was, without actually knowing where he was. Jak shook his head 'no.' A half-truth. "Well, one things for certain…" Daxter cracked a grin. "I don't think we're in Sandover anymore."

Jak shook with silent laughter. Suddenly, a commanding voice sounded behind the duo. "There he is!" Jak and Daxter spun to see a group of men in a strange type of armor heading their way. "Move in." A man in the front with cold eyes and fiery orange hair motioned for the other men to follow him as they approached Jak and Daxter.

"Step away from the animal!" One man ordered. In his panic, Daxter ran away, screaming, leaving Jak to face the strange men alone.

"Forget the rat, the Baron wants him!" The orange-haired man ordered, pointing right at Jak. Needless to say, Jak was very confused. He had half a mind to run away, and the other half to fight back. But he seemed to have frozen to the metal ground. "We've been waiting for you." The orange-haired man sneered. Before Jak had time to defend himself, one man rammed the butt of his weapon right into Jak's face. Everything went black and Jak felt himself hit the hard ground.

Daxter's voice called out though the black void. "Don't worry, Jak! I'll save you before you know it!" And then unconsciousness was complete, and Jak remembered no more.

* * *

"Uh…" Keira groaned as she picked herself off the unnaturally hard ground. "My head…" She struggled to stand up straight, but her body didn't seem to want to cooperate. All she could see were black spots and a wave of dizziness washed over her as she got to her feet, she leaned against a nearby building for support.

Finally, the black spots and the dizziness cleared and Keira looked around. The first and only thing she noticed was that she was alone. "Jak?" She called out. "Daddy?" No answer. "Daxter?" Once again, no answer, thank the Precursors. She didn't want to think about being alone with Daxter. She could barely stand him round other people, she would lose her mind. However, Keira was alone

So Keira took in more of her surroundings and gasped. She had read about the old Precursor cities, but she never thought she'd actually see a city with her own eyes. She seemed to be in some sort of alley, so she walked out into the main street.

Once again, Keira marveled at the sights she saw. Some of the people were riding around on zoomers! More advanced ones then she had ever worked on. Keira's inner mechanic rose within her and she wanted nothing more than to go and examine one. She wanted to see what type of power source they used to get so far off the ground and how it moved forward without propellers.

Keira mentally slapped herself. Finding her friends should be her top priority, not examining the local technology, no matter how fascinating.

There was a small canal in the middle of the road, so Keira decided her best bet was to just follow the canal, so she set off in a random direction, which happened to be south. (A/N: Away from the stadium, and towards the farming district.)

Keira looked up at the sky. It was getting dark fast that the shadows between the buildings were growing fast, not at all safe.

"I'll continue tomorrow." Keira promised herself. She crawled into a dark alley between two large buildings. After carefully making sure that there were no crazy axe-murderers that had already taken up the space, Keira settled in as much as she could. "Where are you?" Keira asked nobody as she fell into a fitful sleep…


	3. Prison

Tensions at the fortress prison were high that day. The Guards were nervous, and the prisoners knew that something was about to happen.

"Hey!" A prisoner, a large, and strongly built man with Krimzon Guard tattoos on his face yelled at a passing guard. "Hey you, Jackass!"

The Guard paused and glared at the prisoner angrily. "What is it, Sorus?

The prisoner, or Sorus, asked. "Something's happening. What's going on?"

"We're getting a new batch of prisoners… five of them." The young guard answered.

"You hear that guys?" Sorus called out to the rest of the prisoners. "New blood!"

All the prisoners began making a bunch of noise at once. "All you fuckers better shut-up!" The Guard ordered. "Or I'll make bitches out of every one of you!"

"What would your mommy say if she heard you use that sort of language?" Sorus sneered. Sorus had crossed the holy line with this last comment, no one mentioned the guard's mother. He pushed the butt of his rifle though the bars and struck Sorus in the face. Sorus hardly flinched, he'd been in prison for three years and he was used to getting the crap beaten out of him. The Guard stormed away without a word.

"Ha! There ain't nobody in this prison that can fuck the guards like Sorus!" A man in the next cell said.

"Shut-up!" A man down the way said. "Here come the new bitches!"

A legion of Krimzon Guards walked down the hallway flanking five people in their new prison outfits. First, a man who stared defiantly ahead, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was a hardass. The second was a slightly overweight man who looked close to tears. The next two walked down the hall in a casual way that suggested that they had spent time in prison before. But it was the last one that caused Sorus to gasp.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, "He's only a boy!"

Indeed, a boy with green/blonde hair, that looked no older than seventeen, was marched along at the end of the group. His eyes were downcast, almost as if from shame. The group disappeared from view and the prisoners immediately began their favorite game: Betting on which of the newbies would be the first to cry. Someone always broke down and cried the first night…

"The kid, without a doubt." The man across the way from Sorus said. "Prison ain't no place for kids."

"The fat guy was already close to tears." Someone else pointed out. "What do you think, Sorus?"

"I think the kid will break down first." Sorus said. "After all, he's just a kid. He'll be crying for his mommy by nightfall."

* * *

Soon after, the newbies were returned and put into cells. By chance, the kid ended up in an empty cell next to Sorus. It had been emptied earlier that week as a result of an 'accident' as the Guards put it. Sorus knew that the former owner had been beaten to death.

The seasoned prisoners began to work at lowering the morale of their 'chosen ones.' "Hey you, Kid!" Sorus called though the bars. The kid didn't answer, but he ignored him. "Hey, answer me, Dammit!" Still the Kid ignored him. "Hey, Kid, don't worry. Prison ain't so bad. Sure, you might become somebody's bitch, but you get use to it after awhile."

In a nearby cell, there was a sudden wail. Sorus sighed, it was the fat guy. "And we have a winner!" The man in the cell across from Sorus proclaimed.

The fat guy got up and put his face near the bars. "Let me out of here!" He cried. "I don't belong here! I'm innocent!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sorus ordered. "Do you want the Guards to beat the crap out of you?"

The fat guy ignored him. "Please, let me out of here!"

Unfortunately for the fat guy, the Guard in charge came in. "Just what the fuck is going on in here?"

"Please, let me out of here!" The fat guy pleaded. "I'm innocent!"

"I don't give a rat's ass who's innocent and who's not!" The Guard spat, but the fat guy was far beyond reasoning at this point.

"You don't understand, I'm not suppose to be here!"

"Shut up!" Someone yelled.

"That's it!" The Guard spat. He grabbed his weapon and aimed at the fat guy, Sorus closed his eyes. There was a loud BANG and a cry of pain. The prisoners had gone deathly quiet. Seven more times the gun fired and seven more cries of pain, each one getting weaker and weaker. Finally, the last shot sounded, there was a horrible splattering sound and the sound of a body falling limp to the ground.

Sorus looked up at the body, the Guard's last shot had blown the man's brains out. The Guard put his weapon away, everything was silent. "Clean this shit up." The Guard ordered some other Guards that had ran in at the sound of gunshots. Sorus turned to look at the Kid; he had watched the scene unfold with horror evident on his face. "Now…" The Guard said, turning to the rest of the prisoners. "If I hear so much as one sneeze coming from here the rest of the night, I'm going to personally put all you fuckers though a round with this here gun!" The Guard threatened. The prisoners knew he wasn't kidding. Most of them carried out bullet wounds from one of his previous rages, so no one dared to make a sound. "Good." The Guard spat. "Good-night, ladies."

With that, the Guard left, leaving the other Guards to clean up the dead man's body. They dragged it down the hall, trailing blood and brain juice.

Some of the prisoners sat up all night, Sorus was one of them, and the Kid was another. Sorus waited the whole night, not once did the Kid make a sound.

* * *

The next day, the hot topic of the day was the 'newbies' crimes. And the story most sought after was the Kid's story. While the others had told their story, ranging from treason, murder, to simple theft, the Kid didn't answer any questions. He simply ignored everyone. No one, not even the Guards knew why he was there so, naturally, rumors began to pop up.

"I've heard…" The man in the cell to the left of Sorus said quietly so that the Kid couldn't hear. "That he's a murderer that killed his whole family, that's why he doesn't talk!"

Sorus looked at the Kid in question. He didn't know anything about him, but he could practically see the child-like innocent radiating from him. Sorus snorted. "Does that look like a mass murderer to you?"

The man looked at the Kid as if seeing him for the first time. "No." He said. "In fact… he looks like a pansy."

"No." Sorus said. "He didn't make a sound last night, so that shows that he's tough. He's a fighter."

Sorus got up and stood next to the bars between his and the Kid's cage. "Hey, Kid, I was an ass to you yesterday, but don't take it personal. I'm Sorus. What's your name?" Once again, the Kid didn't answer. "Okay…" Sorus sighed. "So… why don't you talk?"

For the first time since he arrived, the Kid made eye contact with someone, which happened to be Sorus. He slowly pointed to his throat, shaking his head from side to side.

Sorus was confused for a second, but then he understood. "Oh! You're a mute, huh?" The Kid nodded. "Well, I guess you are always going to be called 'Kid', Kid." Sorus said, leaning closer to the bars. "Listen here, Kid, here's some free advice: You reek of innocence. That ain't a good thing. You need to toughen up or you WILL become somebody's bitch. Here in prison, there are only two types of people: hardasses and bitches. You'll need to choose, one way or the other.

The Kid turned away, brow furrowed in thought.

* * *

That afternoon, Jak sat quietly in his cell on the advice that a prisoner named Sorus gave him. 'Hardasses or bitches. You'll need to choose, on way or the other.' Given the choice, Jak wouldn't have made that choice at all, but he had to. The cold-blooded murder of his fellow prisoner had hit him hard. That man had been weak and innocent, and now he was dead with nine bullet holes in him. Jak glared up at the bars. _I will not be weak!_ Jak vowed to himself. _I will not be vulnerable!_ However, Jak didn't realize that he was glaring at a passing Guard.

"Hey, what are you glaring at, ass-wipe?" The Guard demanded. Jak snapped to attention. "Answer me, Dammit!"

"Hey," Sorus called from the next cell. "He's a mute…"

"Shut the fuck up!" The Guard yelled in an angry rage. "You need to learn that you don't glare at me!" The Guard opened the door to Jak's cell and raised the butt of his rifle to bring it down on Jak's face. Jak instinctively moved to avoid the blunt object, but it didn't work out as well as he planned. While the weapon missed Jak's face, it had still come in contact with Jak. The butt of the rifle caught him right in the throat.

Red spots erupted in Jak's vision as the pain overwhelmed him, sending him on all fours. He coughed and a mouthful of blood came up, he spit it on the ground. Tears welled up, but Jak forced them down, he would not be vulnerable. Nothing could stop the blood, however. He spat out another mouthful while the Guard watched.

"My, I bet that hurt." The Guard sneered. "I hope you've learned your lesson. The next time you glare at me like that, I'll use the other end of my gun!" With that, the Guard locked Jak, still coughing up blood, in his cell and walked away.

"Kid, you alright?" Sorus asked from the next cell.

Jak continued to cough up blood, but with the blood came… an inaudible word!

"What did you say?" Sorus asked, amazed.

"ACK!" Jak responded, not a word, but a sound. Then, he started a little bit stronger. "My… name… is… Jak…"


	4. A Place To Stay

Keira slowly woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. Why was she so sore and cold? _I must've slept on the wrong side of the bed._ Keira thought to herself, eyes still closed. She had the strangest dream of being alone in a strange city after going though the Precursor Ring.

Someone was trying to wake her up. "Go away, Jak…" Keira breathed. "I'm sleeping…"

"Excuse me, but I'm not 'Jak.'" An unfamiliar female voice said.

Keira opened her eyes and found herself looking into a pair of blue eyes; they could've been Jak's eyes, except that they were attached to a female. Keira immediately began to back away from the woman, possibly in her late twenties, early thirties. "Get away from me!" Keira cried. She didn't know this woman at all.

"Shh! Be quiet!" The woman ordered. "Do you want the Krimzon Guards to find you? Don't you know that the Baron is throwing all homeless in prison?"

"Krimzon Guard? Baron? Prison?" She asked confused.

"Well, I've seen a lot of strange things…" The woman said, "But never someone who didn't know of the Baron and his Krimzon Guard."

Keira was genuinely confused. "Can I ask you…" Keira paused. "Where am I?"

"You are in Haven City." The woman snorted in a disapproving way. "But it's not much of a 'haven' anymore since the Baron overthrew the Mar family almost five years ago. A proper name would be 'Prison City,' as the Baron is a tyrant who rules over us all with an iron fist and terror. The fortress used to be the only place of high walls and bars, but now the whole city is a prisoner."

"Haven?" Keira was slightly confused at the name and how this woman said it should be a 'haven.' "From what?" She asked.

"From what?" The woman asked incredulously. "The Metal-Heads, of course! I can't believe that there was someone out there who didn't know of the Metal-Heads! I can't say I don't envy you, though. I'd give anything to forget them. This city has been under siege for the past five hundred years!"

"Five hundred years?" Keira asked, that was a long time to be under constant attack. "What is the date?" Keira asked.

"March 17, 2267." The woman answered casually.

"What?" Keira asked. _2267? How could that be? It was March 16, 1767 yesterday! Exactly five hundred had passed if this woman was correct._

"You seem very confused." The woman observed. "Perhaps you should stay with me."

"No, I couldn't…" Keira began to say, but the woman interrupted her.

"No, I insist. I've have been rather lonely these past years."

"Lonely?" Keira asked, then forgetting that people don't like to talk about their private lives with complete strangers. "Why?"

"My husband disappeared years ago, though that is all too common here. The Baron is imprisoning people for no reason now a days. I saw the Guards take a young boy off the street yesterday, poor thing. I'd hate to think what's happening to him." The woman shook her head. "Anyway, my only son also went missing…"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Keira said, truthfully, getting off the hard ground.

"Don't be." The woman said. "Many have lost much more than me." The woman paused. "By the way, my name is Carla."

"Keira." Keira replied.

"Pretty name." Carla said. "We should get you to my house. Then we can find you some… er… more appropriate clothes." Carla said, referring to Keira's country garb.

Carla began to lead Keira though the dark and forbidding streets. They passed a speaker box that was projecting messages to the whole city in a cold, hard voice that Keira immediately disliked. "Serve your City! Sacrifice for your City and all will prosper!" The speakers boomed.

"Ignore those." Carla ordered. "That's our 'beloved' Baron trying to brainwash us all."

"Where do you live?" Keira asked, wanting to change the subject.

"In the Slums." Then Carla continued, seeing the confused look on Keira's face. "It's the poorest section of the city. Most widows live there."

"Where are we now?" Keira asked, looking at the waterway in the middle of the road.

"Main Town, where the Stadium is located." Carla said, as she turned and walked away from the waterways. After five minutes of walking, they came to a force field. Carla helped Keira though and into the dusty streets of Haven City's Slums. Keira watched in horror as a group of small children, no older than four or five ran by, throwing dirt clods at each other. Their bones were showing clearly though their skin.

"Only the rich have the assurance of a full belly." Carla said sadly, shaking her head as if it disturbed her more deeply than Keira. Carla pointed out a small house from the others. "There it is." She said, walking up to the small house, and unlocking the door. She led Keira in. The small house was sparely furnished, but it was better than hard, dirty ground.

"It's lovely." Keira said, sitting down on the slightly lumpy couch.

Carla looked like she wanted to ask something, but felt too embarrassed. However, she took a breath and asked. "About our meeting… you spoke a name… 'Jak.'" She paused. "Might I ask who he is?"

Keira blushed slightly. "He's an old, dear friend." Keira answered simply.

Carla smiled, like she was all knowing. "You blushed." She laughed. "You liked him, didn't you?"

Keira blushed deeply. "Maybe… there was something there. But he could never tell me…"

"Why not?" Carla demanded. "If you keep something as complicated as love bottled up, it will tear you apart!"

"He could not tell me…" Keira repeated. "Because he was a mute."

"Oh dear, poor boy!" Carla said. "I couldn't imagine what it would be like to love someone and never be able to tell them."

"I'm tired." Keira said, changing the subject. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Mind if I take a nap?"

"Go ahead." Carla said with a smile. Keira flopped straight down onto the couch, not even bothering to find a bed, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	5. First Steps To Hell

"Your name?" Sorus asked, bewildered that the mute kid had just told him his name.

Jak stopped spitting out blood and his hands slapped to his mouth, as if he had just uttered a disgusting swear word. "I… can… speak?" Jak asked slowly.

"You can!" Sorus proclaimed. "It must've been the blow! Whatever was wrong, that blow must've fixed it!"

Jak clutched his throat. "Hurts…" He breathed.

"I'd be hurting too." Sorus said. "You just took a rifle butt to the throat! I've never seen someone go though that without losing consciousness!" Sorus spoke too soon, however, as Jak suddenly passed out.

* * *

(While later)

"Hey, Jak!" Sorus called though the bars of the cell. "Get up!" Jak slowly opened his eyes and he found Sorus staring at him though the bars. "Are you okay?"

Jak felt his throat, it still hurt… a little. He opened his mouth and uttered a single word in the slightly rusty voice that would become his. "Fine." He said, getting up off the hard floor.

Sorus sat on the ground by the bars. "So… now that you're talking. Everyone wants to know… how did you end up in a place like this?"

Jak paused. Could he answer fully? Talking was new to him, in all the time he could remember, he had never talked. Daxter could talk a lot, but never Jak. Jak took a deep breath. "I don't know. One minute… minding my own business. Then the next… here." Jak paused. "I didn't do anything."

"Ah, so you're one of the people who don't know why they are here?" Sorus asked, and Jak nodded, glad that he was understood. "Fuckin' Baron and Erol, picking random people off the streets and throwing them in prison!"

"You?" Jak asked, trying as hard as he can to get used to his new voice. He was still amazed to hear his mouth say what he wanted it to say… sort of. But, hey, he could work on that.

"Me?" Sorus asked. "I wish I could say what you can. But I know why I'm here and everyone, including me, knows I'm guilty."

"What… did you do?" Jak asked.

"Now… don't freak out, but I'm a murderer." Sorus said, and Jak gasped, he had never seen a murderer before. To deliberately take someone's life was… disgusting! Sure, he had killed Lurkers, but the dumb beasts were hardly self-aware, and that could hardly count as murder. Sorus noticed the look Jak was giving him, one of disgust. "Don't look at me like that, the bastard deserved it."

"What happened?" Jak asked, curious.

"Well… I used to be a Krimzon Guard, but I wasn't a regular or even an elite. I was an assassin, basically a master of death. I worked for the late Commander Locke. The stupid bastard wanted to test our loyalty, so he put hits on our families to see if we would put his orders before our own families." Sorus paused. "The sad thing is… some of my fellow assassins actually followed orders. But, rather than kill my family, I killed Commander Locke. But, I was caught. Because I was an assassin, I was deemed a dangerous weapon and given several life sentences…" Sorus paused. "How many was it?" He asked his other neighbor.

The other prisoner paused, thinking. "Three or four, give or take."

"Yes, three or four life sentences." Sorus said. "I'm going to die in here, but at least you might have your parents out there, fighting for your release!"

Jak hung his head. "No parents." He said. "My friends… they don't know I'm in here."

"Shut up!" A Guard, who was walking by, roared. "I've got a damn hangover and I won't stand for the noise!"

"A hangover?" Sorus asked. "And whose fault is that?" He laughed.

"Shut up, Sorus." The Guard growled. "Or I'll personally make sure your life sentences are upgraded to a death sentence!"

Sorus laughed to himself as the man walked away. "Life or Death, what does it matter? I'm going to die in here anyway."

* * *

(Palace, Three Months Later)

"My lord," Erol, the Krimzon Guard Commander and the Baron's right-hand man, said. "The Dark Warrior Project is now ready for human trials."

Baron Praxis smirked. "Excellent."

"May I inquire as to who you are going to test?" Erol asked.

"The criminals in the fortress Prison." Praxis answered without hesitation. "Most of them are violent to begin with, making them stronger and more dangerous. Besides, nobody gives a rat's ass about those criminals. Test every prisoner for Channeling abilities."

"Sir, not everyone will survive." Erol pointed out. "Thousands will die."

"Those that have no Channeling abilities are of no use to us. Let them die. The ones that do pass, however, will be put into the Dark Warrior Project immediately…" Praxis laughed at the thought of his Dark army. With that unstoppable force, he would be the one to destroy the Metal-Heads!

* * *

(Prison)

Jak dreamed fitfully.

Jak was backed up against a wall, and he was afraid. His friend, his mentor, was approaching him with anger blazing in his eyes. Jak couldn't quite see his face, but he saw the long sharp teeth and the glowing yellow eyes. A hand reached out and roughly grabbed his own. Jak tried to pull away, but he found he was not strong enough. In fact, he wasn't very strong at all; he was in a child's body.

The man-creature whispered to him. "So you are the great hope? You are pathetic!" Suddenly, the man transformed into the very creature Jak had seen coming out of the Ring, and Jak found himself in his regular body. "You can not hide from me, boy!" The monster roared. The creature brought its tail around and embedded itself in Jak's stomach.

Jak gasped as extreme pain blossomed from his stomach. He looked down in horror as the tail cut though his flesh as easily as a hot knife though butter. With a painful wrench, the tail pulled itself free, leaving a large hole in its wake. Jak put his hands over the hole in his stomach, trying desperately to keep his innards inside his body, but he was failing miserably. The pain grew to be too much and Jak fell to his knees.

"See? You can not win!" The monster roared. "You are weak!"

"No!" Jak cried out.

"What? What is it?" Someone asked.

Jak opened his eyes. The monster was gone. Jak looked down at his stomach, there was no wound, but he checked anyway. Patting himself down as if checking to see if everything was in order and his intestines were not all over the place. Once satisfied that he was okay, he sighed. "Nothing." He breathed, by now he had gotten used to his voice. "It was just a nightmare." Sorus, who was the one who had spoken, watched Jak with concern. Jak rolled over on the small cot and returned to a fitful sleep and the land of nightmares.

* * *

(Morning)

"Something's happening." Jak said quietly as he watched the Guards come in and lead a new prisoner away every few minutes.

"You're right." Sorus said after the man in the cell next to Jak was led away. "And did you notice that no one is returning?"

"That ass of a Baron is probably going genocide on us." A prisoner said.

"Genocide?" Jak asked, confused.

"Mass extermination." Sorus explained. "He's killing us all."

"Great… just great." Jak said, looking to the empty cell next to him. "I'm next."

"Hey, sometimes I wish I were put to death." Sorus said. "It's so damn boring! Consider yourself lucky that you only spent three months in here." Sorus paused. "There's only one thing I regret. That I didn't take Erol out while I was at it." Sorus sighed. "When you start a job, you should finish it. I killed a worm, only to have it replaced by a rat."

"I'll tell you what I regret." Another prisoner spoke up. "I never had a threesome." The man shook off Jak's confused looks. "Maybe when you are older, Kid."

"How much older am I going to get?" Jak asked.

"Not much, I guess." Sorus said, laughing. "But we're still not telling you, you are too young." Jak rolled his eyes. "So, what do you regret, Jak?"

Jak thought about this question. The answer was easy, really. "Well… there was this girl…" Jak paused. "There was definitely something there, but… I was a mute. I could never tell her how I felt."

"Get up off your ass, criminal." Jak looked up and saw the Guards standing at his cell door. Jak set his face with a neutral expression as he got up from the cot. "That's right. I'm opening the door, now. If you so much as look at me funny, I'll kill you right here." The door opened and weapons were leveled on Jak's chest, but Jak didn't make a move for them. He had toughened up on the outside out of necessity, but on the inside he was still the same boy, and that boy wasn't violent. The Guards put him in restraints, and Jak didn't fight.

Instead the Guards led him away, down the hall. Jak passed dozens of empty cells. Jak reached a door and the Guards stopped him. The door opened and three Guards came out, dragging a dead body. A single hand was hanging out from under the bloody sheets that covered the body. There were large wounds covering the hand, each one oozing Blue Eco. Jak may have been brought up in the country, but he wasn't stupid. He recognized Eco Poisoning when he saw it.

"Eco…" Jak gasped, but a Guard quickly silenced him with a blow to the back of the head.

"Shut the hell up, convict!" The Guard ordered.

So Jak finished his thought in his head. _Eco? If they are trying to kill us with Eco Poisoning, I have nothing to worry about. Channelers don't get Eco Poisoning._

Jak was then led into the room and saw the evidence of hundreds of Eco Poisoning cases. Jak knew that Channelers were very rare. He figured that in the whole prison with over a thousand people, there would be only ten or so. The smell of hundreds of people's bile hit Jak like a sledgehammer, and his own bile almost joined the others. He was forcefully sat down on a metal table in the middle of the room. A bunch of men were already there, wearing masks. _Lucky them._ Jak thought angrily. The smell was overpowering and Jak worked to keep his food down. The men set to work, attaching all sorts of probes to his body, but Jak didn't really care.

Without speaking to him, one man got out a needle filled with Blue Eco. Jak, who was clueless about needles, did not react until the needle was forcefully shoved into his arm. Jak swallowed a cry of surprise as the man began to shoot the Eco straight into his bloodstream. Within seconds, he was Channeling, and he felt the energy of Blue Eco move over his skin and though his body. It felt so familiar and it, in a way, reminded him of home.

"Holy fucking Yakkow!" One man exclaimed, watching the monitors. "Take a look at this!"

Another man joined him at the monitors. "Holy…"

"These Eco readings are off the charts!" The first man looked up at Jak though his mask. "This prisoner is top priority. If he isn't the one, no one is."

Jak was pushed off the table and led though a second door in the room, being careful to step over the puddles of sick. As he was led into the fresh air, or at least fresh compared to the air in the room he just left, he believed he was taking his first steps towards something better; but he was really taking his first steps to hell.

Jak was led into another room. There were four prisoners chained to chairs and at least three-dozen Krimzon Guards. Jak was sat down in a chair and restrained.

Jak sighed, and stared at the door. Sorus would've been right after him. Several minutes pasted in silence before the doors opened again. The Guards were leading Sorus in. Jak didn't say a word until Sorus was restrained in the chair next to him and the Guards left.

"You're a Channeler, huh?" Jak asked.

"I guess." Sorus said. "I didn't die, did I?" He paused. "So, you are a Channeler?"

"Yes, I've known since I was young." Jak said.

"So… they're finding Channelers?" Sorus asked no one. "This can't be good.

* * *

(Half A Day Later)

The fruit of the Krimzon Guard's search had paid off. Fifteen Channelers sat in the small room. Jak, by now, had lost all feeling in his body. He shifted, trying to get feeling back in his legs and backside. Jak's hands had been tingling for the past hour and it was driving him insane.

There was a whooshing sound and Jak looked up. There was a orange-haired man walking into the room. Jak recognized him as the man who had captured him. "Who is that?" Jak asked quietly.

"Him?" Sorus asked, gesturing toward the red-haired man with his head. "That's Commander Erol, the Tight-ass. He's the right-hand man to Baron Praxis and the leader of all the Krimzon Guards. He's the replacement of Commander Locke."

Jak was about to respond when Erol spoke up. "Fifteen." He said quietly, so that they could barely hear him. Then, a little louder, Erol began again. "Fifteen out of over a thousand prisoners. Only you posses the necessary qualities that we need. All fifteen of you have 'volunteered' to help the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, on a project that is a great hope for the final destruction of the Metal-Heads. If all goes well, it will be though you that our five hundred year long war will come to an end." Erol smiled in a way that made Jak disbelieve ever word that came out of his mouth. Jak looked over at Sorus, who was shaking his head. "The 'Project' begins tomorrow." Erol continued. "Rest up, it's going to be a 'big day' tomorrow." Erol grinned in an evil sort of way that made Jak slightly nervous.

Erol glared at each of them in turn, giving them an evil smile. When Erol grinned at Jak like that, Jak felt shivers run up his spine. Erol turned and left.

The Guard got the restrains off them and the fifteen Channelers got up slowly, (They had been sitting all day) and were led into a new section of the prison that no one had ever been to before.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sorus said.

Jak shivered at the thought of Erol's smile. "You have no idea." Jak said.


	6. Life in the Year 2269

March 20, 2269.

_'Dear Diary,_

_I know what you are wondering. Why has it been five hundred and five days since I last wrote? Well, the truth is… it's only been five days. Somehow, that Precursor Ring took me far into the future. Now I'm stuck in a city called 'Haven City' which is ruled by a tyrant, under constant attack from these mysterious 'Metal-Heads', but I have also been separated from Daddy, Jak, and Daxter. And I have no idea where to begin looking. It scares me to think of my Jak, wandering these dirty streets. I can only hope that he has found somewhere safe to stay._

_As for me, a nice 'slummer' woman named Carla has been kind enough to take me in. She is a very nice woman, but it is hard for her to feed one person, let alone two. (She is a widow, her husband disappeared, probably dead, and her son is gone too, also probably dead.) I have a feeling that I should get a job to help out. Besides, if I got out into the City more, perhaps I could find Daddy, Jak, or maybe Daxter._ '

* * *

Keira set the diary down and sighed. She looked out the window in her small room and watched as a small child, no older than seven, pick though some garbage in an alleyway across the street. The child's whole body was the color of dust because; well… he was covered head to toe in dust. Keira got up and walked down towards the kitchen. Carla was making toast, and she pushed a single lock of green hair out of her eyes.

"Toast?" She offered some to Keira as she entered. Keira accepted the toast and took a bite. It was slightly burnt, but Keira wasn't going to refuse it. _Beggars can't be choosers._ She thought to herself as she ate the toast quietly.

Suddenly, the peace and quiet was shattered by the sound of an enraged man just outside. "AUGH! Run! You damn, stupid-ass zoomer!"

"Ignore it." Carla said calmly, but Keira was already gone.

Keira walked up to the man and his troublesome zoomer. From behind, she could tell he had brown hair and a slim build. "Excuse me?" Keira asked politely. "Can I help you?"

The man turned around and glared at her. His eyes were brown also, but a shade lighter than his hair. "There's nothing a silly little GIRL like you could help me with!" He spat.

Keira was slightly taken aback by this, but she didn't waver. She glanced at the zoomer, and grinned as she knew what was wrong with it. This guy obviously didn't know a thing about zoomers. She quickly let her fist fly and she slammed it onto the hood of the zoomer, ignoring the man's protest. However, just as Keira knew it would, it started. The man stared at her and Keira grinned smugly back at him before walking away.

"Wait!" The man called out as he ran after her. He caught up to Keira and spun her around. "How did you do that?" He asked in amazement.

"Simple." Keira replied. "Your power supply was knocked out of place. I merely bumped it back into place."

"Are you a mechanic?" The man asked.

"I dabble with machines." Keira answered, being humble.

"Are you interested in a job on a racing team?" The man asked.

Keira blanked. Hadn't she just written that she needed a job this very morning? "Yes, of course I will!"

"Good." The man said, getting out a piece of paper and writing an address on it. "I'm Tigran, by the way." He said, handing Keira the note. "Be there tomorrow at noon… don't be late." He hopped back on his zoomer and took off.

Keira looked down at the piece of paper. It said: 'Mar Memorial Stadium, Garage Three.' Keira slowly went back into Carla's house.

Carla looked up at her. "What was all that about?" She asked.

"Some guy named Tigran with zoomer problems." Keira said. "I fixed it for him, because I've always had a thing for machines. Anyway, the guy was so impressed that he offered me a job!"

"Really?" Carla asked. "That's great! Where?"

"This place called 'Mar Memorial Stadium.' Garage Three, tomorrow at noon." Keira said.

"Good." Carla said. "I'll take you there tomorrow."

"Just… how big is this city?" Keira asked.

"Pretty big." Carla answered. "Haven City is almost completely self-sustaining. There are only a few places outside these walls that are part of Haven, and only a few people go out there every year. No one else is allowed outside, the Baron kills anyone who tries… not that many people try to go out there…"

"Metal-Heads?" Keira asked, Carla nodded. "What do Metal-Heads look like?" Keira asked.

"I don't know." Carla said. "I've never seen one, and I don't plan to. However, I know that Metal-Heads come in many different species, but they all have one thing in common. A glowing yellow skull-gem on their foreheads. Thus the name: Metal-Heads."

"Yellow gems?" Keira asked. She was remembering back in Sandover… large monsters had flown from the Ring, and they all had yellow gems on their foreheads, including the monstrous one.

"That's what I've heard." Carla said, shrugging. But then she reverted back to a Metal-Head-free conversation. "So working at Mar Memorial Stadium, huh?" Keira nodded. "Must be involved with racing." Carla said happily. "Racing is the biggest sport in the City, and there's a lot of money involved, especially Erol's team." Carla added the last part with disgust.

"Erol?" Keira asked, confused. "I've heard of him, who is he?"

"He's the Baron's right hand man." Carla explained. "He's a worm of a man, but he happens to be the Grand Racing Champion of Racing in Haven City, maybe the world. He's never lost a race that he's entered." Carla paused. "However, I wouldn't want to work for him. He runs the Baron's more… questionable projects."

"How did you find all this stuff out?" Keira asked.

"My husband." Carla said. "He found these things out. He was… a Krimzon Guard… pretty high up, too. Perhaps that's why he's gone…"

"What do you mean?" Keira asked.

"He might've found out something he shouldn't have." Carla said. "The Baron is very good at making people disappear. He even made our King disappear… how I wish he was still around."

"Haven City had a King?" Keira asked, she couldn't remember being told this.

"Oh yes. King Damas Mar, Queen Anastasia Mar, and young Prince Mar." Carla said. "Damas and young Mar were the direct descendants of Mar, founder of Haven City."

"What happened?" Keira asked.

"Well, like I said, King Damas disappeared. His wife, Anastasia, disappeared also. Their only son, Prince Mar, is gone. Every now that then, there are rumors of their sightings, but they are never confirmed."

"How sad." Keira breathed.

"Well, they were great rulers." Carla said. "They will be greatly missed. One can only hope that Prince Mar will survive though the years and come back to rule us, or at least keep the line of Mar alive."

"How old would he be if he is alive?" Keira asked.

"Five." Carla answered. "So, you see, we can't put our faith in Mar yet, if he is alive. He is far too young to take the Throne. Even if Mar came back, Praxis would be able to hold the Throne, and Mar would make a disappearing act well before he was old enough."

Keira nodded, it made sense. A five-year-old kid couldn't rule an entire City. Keira looked up at Carla and was surprised to see that she was near tears. Keira, not wanting to pry into other people's business, got up slowly and left Carla alone in the room.

Once Keira was gone, Carla burst into tears. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small metal object, and held it to her chest. "I miss you… so much…" She sobbed. She opened her palm and looked down at the one object she had left that reminded her of her lost husband and son. A small tear landed on the cold, golden metal. It was a small amulet, the Seal of Mar.


	7. The Gates of Hell

Jak, Sorus, and the thirteen other men were put in a single containment cell. The cell seemed like it was built to handle no more than ten prisoners, so fifteen prisoners were very squashed. What was worse, the cell was defiantly behind in the current health standards. The skeleton of an elf, left to rot in a corner, was proof of that.

The fifteen Channelers sat on the floor, trying to get as much personal space as possible, which was harder because nobody wanted to be near the skeleton.

After several moments of silence, one man who Jak had never met spoke up. "What do you think the Baron is going to do to us?" He asked.

"I don't know, but if that guy is any clue…" Sorus pointed at the skeleton. "It can't be good."

* * *

(Next Day)

Jak woke up screaming. He had another repeat of the nightmare that had haunted him since he first stepped into the now-dreaded walls of the fortress prison. The monster had mocked his weakness before disemboweling him with its tail. Jak just barely managed to remember that it was a nightmare before screaming his head off.

"Jak? You alright?" Sorus looked up suddenly.

Jak took several deep, calming breaths before he dared to answer. "I'm fine." He said shortly. Jak then noticed that there were dark circles under Sorus' eyes. "Have you been up all night?"

"Yes." Sorus answered. "I've been trying to figure out what the Baron wants with us. He can only use Channelers, so it has to do with Eco… that's all I've got."

"You've been thinking all night and that's all you've got?" Jak asked.

"Well, I don't have a lot of information." Sorus pointed out.

Sorus fell silent. Everything was peaceful and silent for almost twenty minutes. Then, the sound of heavy boots made themselves heard. The prisoners were awake instantly. Commander Erol and several Krimzon Guard stopped in front of the cell.

"Six A.M." Erol said softly, looking around the small cell. His eyes came to rest on the man who was sitting just to the left of Jak, and Erol grinned that creepy grin that sent shivers down Jak's spine. "Him." Erol said, pointing that the man he grinned at. The Guards opened the door, weapons raised, while two Guards grabbed the man in question. They led the man swiftly away, taking special care to make sure that the door was locked after them. The man was led away while the other prisoners sat in uncomfortable silence.

No one said or did anything for several minutes, waiting for some clue as to what was going to happen to them.

Quite suddenly, a horrible scream split the still, prison air. The prisoners stiffened as the sound increased in volume and anguish. Slowly, the sound died away to nothing. The silence in the prison was absolute for at least thirty seconds before Jak spoke up. "What was that?" He asked, still spooked by the terrible sound.

Everyone was silent for almost a minute, before Sorus replied to Jak's question. "That is the sound of ultimate suffering." Sorus said, grimly.

There was the sound of a body being forcefully dragged back to the cell. All fourteen prisoners got up and put their faces against the bars. Suddenly, Sorus yelled, "Stand back!" Without question, everyone leapt back from the bars. The Guards came, dragging a body. They opened the door and tossed in the man, and walked away.

Everyone stared at the body and gasped when the arm moved, it was working to get the man's face off the ground. Jak was the first to see the man's face, as he was kneeling down. Jak gasped. "Oh my God!"

"Help… me…" The poor man gasped as he vomited all over the ground, a mixture of blood and… Dark Eco! Jak knew this was Eco Poisoning, but at it's worst. This was Dark Eco Poisoning, something that Jak had never witnessed, and personally would've been happier if he never had to, yet here he was. The poor man began to choke as the Dark Eco began to run out of his mouth, down his chin, and stained the front of his prison outfit. "Help… me…" He gasped. His eyes glazed over and rolled up into his head, so much so that you couldn't even see the color of his eyes anymore. Dark Eco bubbled in the corners of his mouth, giving him the look of a rabid dog. Finally, he fell face down on the ground, his body went still. A puddle of blood and Dark Eco slowly spread out from his body.

"Oh my God!" Jak repeated.

"He's dead." Sorus breathed.

"Dark Eco!" Jak gasped. "I've never seen anything like this! It's… unheard of! Where I come from, everyone went out of his or her way to avoid Dark Eco! I've never seen someone with Dark Eco Poisoning before."

"Dark Eco?" Someone panicked, "We're all going to die!"

"Shut up!" Sorus ordered. "The Baron obviously doesn't want us all to die!"

"How do you know?" Someone demanded.

"Because the Baron has a million and one easier ways to kill us." Sorus reasoned. "Dark Eco is hard to come by, so I doubt he would waste it to kill off lowly prisoners." Sorus paused. "He wants something…"

Jak blanked, the memory of two extremely pale faces flashed though his memory. "You were wrong, Samos." The male, Gol, said. "Dark Eco can be controlled!"

Controlling Dark Eco? Was it even possible? Jak knew that messing around with Dark Eco was a very bad thing, and to get it in your system, like the Dark twins, could make you go insane, like the Dark twins.

Before Jak could finish his thought, some more Guards came and led another man away. No one said anything as the screaming started, and no one spoke as the screaming stopped. The man was dragged back to the cell like the other one and thrown in. The man lay where he was tossed limply, everyone watched him, holding their breath.

Slowly the man got up, opened his mouth and… "Son of a bitch, that hurt!"

"You're alive!" Sorus exclaimed.

"Barely." The man groaned.

"What did they do to you?" Sorus asked.

"They…" The man gasped. "Needle… Dark Eco… They… want some sort of… mutation…" The man swiftly passed out, but didn't die.

"Well," Sorus said. "At least we know its possible to live."

"Only…" Jak said. "If you happen to live."

* * *

(Half a day later)

Half a day later, ten had gone for their treatments. Five were dead, five had lived, and five were still waiting their turn. All five who had lived was unconscious. Jak and Sorus were among the five left, along with three other men. These five watched with increasing nervousness as the Guards came once more and, to Jak's horror, they grabbed onto his arms and began to lead him away.

"Be strong." Sorus whispered.

Jak didn't bother to answer. He knew that it was going to take more then strength to overcome Dark Eco.

The Guards led Jak down a long and featureless hallway. Well… at least it felt long to Jak. For one of the first times in his life, Jak felt truly afraid. He remembered the number of times he had accidentally hit a Dark Eco Box during his last adventure. He had been sore for hours. Those boxes didn't contain a lot of Eco to begin with, possibly not even an E-unit. He didn't know how much Eco he would be subjected to.

The group reached a door to another part of the prison where Jak had never been. _Just how big is this prison?_ Jak wondered. He was escorted though the door and immediately took in his surroundings. He was in a large room lit with green lights. The room was lined with prison cells, and in the center was a large, bottomless pit. On a platform in the center, there was a metal chair with a large, scary looking machine hovering above it. Several men were working on this machine and it didn't seem to be completed yet. Jak's eyes were caught by a hole in the wall. _A means of escape?_ Jak wondered to himself. The hole seemed to lead into some type of ventilation system. Jak made a note of it in the back of his brain as a possible means of escape. There were two men standing in the corner, one was Commander Erol, and the other was a large man that Jak had never seen before. They were both studying a file.

"Number 11." Commander Erol said. "Apparently the scientists believe that it will become the Dark Warrior. It got the highest Eco Score." Jak was slightly amazed at what Erol was calling him. 'It.' It was like they didn't want him to be seen as a person. But, then again, perhaps it made everyone's job easier, seeing as they were killing people.

"I find it hard to believe that this… thing would get the highest score." The taller one said. This man had half of his face made of metal, like he has his face ripped off at one point. Jak immediately decided that this place, wherever that was, was no place for weaklings.

"What amount do you suggest for this one?" Erol asked a green-faced scientist.

"Uh… considering the high Eco Score, I'd suggest… twenty CC's." The scientist said.

"Fine." The metal-faced man said. "Twenty CC's it is."

"Yes, Baron Praxis." Erol said to the metal-faced man, who apparently was this 'Baron Praxis.' Erol then motioned to a nearby scientist. He pulled out a large needle and a large bottle filled with an evil, primordial substance, which was commonly called Dark Eco.

Without warning, three Guards grabbed Jak and threw him into a metal chair, not the one under the machine, and restrained his arms and legs. Jak tried vainly to get up, but he was strapped down tight. He couldn't get up even if he wanted to. The scientist filled the needle up as far as it would go and Jak knew it was far more than he had ever dealt with.

"Number Eleven is restrained." One Guard reported in a cold, hard voice. "He's not going anywhere."

Baron Praxis nodded his head, the only command he gave to begin the unimaginable torture that would commence.

The head scientist plunged the needle straight into Jak's carotid artery and began to pump the evil substance right into Jak's bloodstream.

The pain started immediately. He tried with all his might not to cry out, but the Dark Eco rushed though his body like a wild-fire, twisting everything it came in contact with. He screamed louder as he had the feeling of being ripped into a million pieces. The very universe seemed to be ripping apart and every creature in it was screaming in pain. Jak was lost in a dark oblivion. An oblivion where nothing existed but the pain that was consuming his soul.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain died away and Jak slumped in the chair. Jak lay there on the table, twitching occasionally as stray Dark Eco volts ran though his body. His entire body burned in the after effects of the treatment. Jak's breathing was shallow and ragged as he attempted to recover from the horrible torture he just endured.

"Well?" Praxis roar, his loud voice was like a hammer-blow to Jak's pounding head and he flinched. "Is there any change?"

The lead scientist ran a small scanner over Jak's body. Jak didn't care as he was still wallowing in pain. "Minimal physical change, mostly the same type of cellular mutations you usually see in Dark Eco related cases, nothing to speak of."

"It's a start." Praxis sighed. "We'll repeat tomorrow." At these words, Jak's eyes shot open. _Tomorrow?_ The Guards took off the restraints. Jak tried to fight them, but the after-effects of the torture were still burning though him. This left him weak, too weak to be fighting trained soldiers. The Guards quickly beat him into submission and dragged him bodily back to his cell. There, they practically threw him back in the cell, where Jak lay on the ground, lacking the strength or the will power to pick himself up.

"You all right, Jak?" Sorus asked.

"I'm not dying." Jak moaned." But…" Then Jak joined the rank of the other survivors and passed out.


	8. The Dream

Keira was laid out on the couch in Carla's house, resting. Tomorrow would be her first time going to the stadium, hoping to get a job. Her eyes were closed and hovered on the thin line between the waking world and the dream world. Hundreds of thoughts chased around inside her head, but one thought stood out above the rest… Jak. _Where are you?_ Keira wondered, wishing with all her heart that someone… anyone would tell her the answer, but no one spoke. _Jak, where are you?_ With this one thought in mind, Keira slipped off the line into the land of dreams...

* * *

(Dream-state)

Keira's next conscious thought was _Where am I?_ Indeed, she found herself is some sort of dark void. Then, the next thing she knew, it wasn't dark. It was like someone turned on the light switch, and Keira gasped at her surroundings.

"Sandover?" Keira gasped. Well, not quite. She was standing on Sentinel Beach. The sun was setting and the water was at it's most magnificent; the entire ocean was a reddish-orange color, making it look like an ocean of fire. But it was a gentle ocean of fire. Gentle waves lapped onto the beach and a breeze came in from the ocean and rolled over her. She breathed deeply to take in the salty smell that she knew so well.

Suddenly, she got that feeling that she wasn't alone and she turned around. She found herself looking into deep blue eyes… eyes that she loved. "Jak?" Keira asked, hardly able to believe.

It was Jak. He was exactly the way that Keira remembered him, blue tunic, blue eyes, kind face, and green/blonde hair that seemed to defy the laws of gravity. He smiled at her and Keira was almost sent to her knees. She loved that smile, that loving, slightly cocky smile… she loved him. "Yes, it's me." Jak spoke. Keira gasped.

"Jak… you can talk?" Keira asked.

"This is a dream." Jak replied. "Dreams are not fully ruled by the way you remember me. This might not be my real voice, but I can talk."

Keira couldn't stand it any longer. She jumped at Jak and gave him the biggest hug that she could muster. Jak, caught slightly off-guard, fell to the sand under the force of Keira's bear hug. "Hey." He laughed, returning the hug affectionately.

"I've missed you." Keira said.

"And I miss you." Jak said, speaking in present tense to remind Keira that this wasn't real.

"Jak…" Keira stared into his eyes and Jak met her gaze. "Where are you?"

For the first time, Jak frowned. "I can't tell you." He said. "I don't want to put you in danger. Besides, you wouldn't be able to help me even if you knew where I was." Jak paused. "But that is beside the point… I've come to warn you, Keira."

Keira, still lying in the sand next to Jak, scouted closer to him. "Warn me of what?"

"Keira…" Jak brushed a strand of aqua hair out of Keira's face, his eyes full of love and… pain? "Where I am… I'm in great danger. They won't let me go until they get what they want."

"Who are 'they'? What do they want?" Keira asked.

"They' are evil men, Keira. Stay away from them… whatever you do." Jak said. "As to what they want… I'm not sure. It has to do with Dark Eco. But… you should know…" Jak's eyes filled with tears. "You are never going to see me again."

Keira sat up, horrified. "What do you mean?" The thought of never seeing Jak again scared her more deeply than she could explain.

"Where I am… what's happening to me…" Jak paused, sitting up also. "I'm not going to survive."

Keira acted out her first response… denial. "No!" She said. "You can't die!"

"No, I can. I am mortal, after all." Jak said.

"No! You can't die! Wherever you are… you'll beat them! You always beat them!" Keira was near tears. "You can't die!" She repeated.

"Keira… I wouldn't tell you this unless I was sure of it." Jak said. "The last thing I want to do is never see you again. But… I'm sure. It's happening already. I'm dying… ever so slowly."

"But there's so much more that we have to say… so much that we have to do…" Keira paused, putting her hand on Jak's shoulder. "I love you, Jak." Keira's face was really close to Jak's now.

"I'm just a dream, Keira." Jak said, noticing how close they were. "You know this isn't real."

"I don't care." Keira said, stubbornly. "Just… kiss me, Jak."

Jak smiled slightly. He lowered his face to hers to comply with her wishes. Keira prepared to accept the kiss that she wanted ever since she was a young girl.

* * *

"Keira! Wake up! You've got to go to the Stadium!" Carla yelled, snapping Keira out of her dream. Keira couldn't believe it, her and Jak's kiss interrupted once again! Even though he was only a dream, she so desired that kiss, practically lusted for it.

Keira curled her knees up against her chest and cried. According to Dream Jak, he was going to die, and she was never going to see him again. She had confessed her love to Dream Jak, but the real Jak was out there, in danger, and he didn't know how she felt. It was enough to make her sick inside. And the fact she didn't know where in the world he was made matters worse.

Keira looked up with blood-shot eyes from crying. "If I really never see Jak again… I swear I'll never love another." Keira paused. "And I'll remember him forever."

"Keira! Hurry up, you're going to be late!" Carla yelled from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Keira yelled back, throwing on some clothes and running out of the room to go to her job interview. She met up with Carla by the door. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Good." Carla said as they both went out the front door. Carla paused only to lock the door and then they were on their way. They were about halfway though the Slums when Keira's stomach growled. Carla laughed. "You hungry?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Keira said.

"No, I have a little bit of money." Carla said. "We'll get something here." She turned into a Slummer eatery. A small bell tinkled as they walked in. A couple people looked up, but then went back to their food.

There was an older woman behind the counter. "Hi, and welcome to…" She slowed to a stop as she looked up at Carla. Suddenly, the woman bowed her head in a respectful manner, Keira watched in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Carla demanded the old woman quietly.

"I know who you are." The woman whispered back so that no one except Carla and Keira heard it.

Carla looked worried and leaned in to the old woman. "Please, tell no one." She begged the woman, who nodded.

"So, what do you want, miss?" The woman asked.

"Two Yakkow sandwiches." Carla replied, handing over a small amount of money to pay for the sandwiches. The woman put the money back in Carla's hands and closed her fingers over the coins.

"Don't worry. It's on the house." The woman whispered with a wink that no one noticed. For a second, Carla looked like she was going to demand that the woman take the money, but then she smiled and nodded. The woman handed them their sandwiches. They thanked the woman before walking out.

Carla ate her sandwich in silence, obviously trying to pretend that the whole thing with the old woman never happened. So Keira decided to bring it up. "What just happened?" She asked.

Carla remained silent for a minute, and then sighed. "She must've mistaken me for someone else." She said guardedly. "I figured, just let her think she's right.

"Why?" Keira asked.

"Because it gives her hope." Carla answered simply as though that ended the discussion and Keira decided that it was wise to not pursue the subject further. She took a bite of her sandwich and continued towards the Stadium.

After several more minutes of walking, Keira got her first glimpse ever of the Stadium. Keira gasped, this area was more beautiful and well kept than any part of the City that she had seen. There were little atriums containing trees and grass. Some people were lounging on the grass, ignoring the 'Stay Off The Grass' signs, like they didn't have a care in the world.

The Stadium itself was very impressive. From what she could tell, it was in an oval shape with orange tarps partially covering the top of the open air Stadium. Statues of an impressive figure, towering above the people, surrounded the front. Keira had to give credit to the person who carved them. They had managed to create this man out of stone, almost to the point where he seemed alive.

The artist had somehow managed to capture the casual, yet alert, pose of a warrior, yet the solemness of a King. However, it was the face that intrigued Keira the most. The man had a dizzying range of emotions on his face. She saw joy, but also sadness, pride, but also humility, love, and also a hint of rage. But on top of it all: heroism.

Carla noticed where Keira was staring. "Good, aren't they? That's Mar, Founder and first King of Haven City." Carla paused, looking up and the sign that said 'Garages 1-5' and 'Garages 6-10' with arrows pointing to their location.

"Three." Keira answered. According to the signs, Garage Three was to the left side of the Stadium. Keira turned to Carla.

Carla nodded encouragingly. "Go on." She urged.

Keira turned and began to walk down the corridor that was on the left side of the stadium. She walked a short ways until she came to a garage with the number '3' painted on the door.

Keira looked up at a clock that was in the hallway. It was 11:55, five minutes early. But, Keira decided that it would be okay to be early, so she knocked on the big metal door.

The metal door opened and the same man that she met on the streets yesterday, Tigran, greeted Keira. She couldn't help staring. She didn't realize how hot he was yesterday. He had a lean build that seemed perfect for racing, but that didn't mean he wasn't muscular. He had rich brown hair and brown eyes that were just a shade lighter than his hair. He seemed to be staring right back at her. Keira shook her head; she hadn't given up on Jak, even if he had given up himself. "Hi." She said in a voice that was half an octave higher than usual. _Damn!_ Keira cursed to herself.

"Hi." Tigran said in a dry voice. Keira could tell he was mentally kicking himself too.

"So… this is the mechanic girl." A new voice said in the background. Keira looked beyond Tigran's brown eyes and found herself staring into the eyes of an old man. He had the palest blue eyes she had ever seen, and she shivered, despite herself. Those eyes creeped her out big time. "I'm Bease." (A/N: "Base-eh") The pale-eyed man said. "I own this racing team. I believe you've already met my racer, Tigran?" He said, pointing to Tigran, who waved. "I've just put this team together, but I need a mechanic to get it on its feet. Tigran told me you repaired his zoomer, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is." Keira answered.

"So you know zoomers?"

"Yes, I do."

"Okay, you see this here zoomer?" Bease pointed to a racing zoomer that was well below safety standards.

"Yes." Keira answered.

"There is a race beginning in five hours time." Bease said. "Any competent mechanic would have this hunk of junk fixed by then. If you can get this zoomer race worthy before then, you're hired." He left to do whatever it was race Managers do before a race.

Tigran smiled at her and Keira was horrified to discover that she was subconsciously comparing his smile to Jak's. "Good luck." He said before following Bease out of the Garage, leaving Keira alone.

Keira glanced at the zoomer and was pleased to see that it was nothing she couldn't handle. Keira smiled and set to work.

* * *

(4 Hours Later)

Keira replaced the cover of the engine and stood back to admire her handiwork. Who says a woman can't fix zoomers? It didn't look very flashy, but it could race. Of coarse, she had to take a crash course in racing standards, but that was easy. Dozens of pages boiled down to 'must run.'

Keira began to wipe her hands on a rag, a clean one, when Bease and Tigran came back in. "The race is in one our, Missy." Bease said. "We're just here to check your progress."

"I'm done." Keira said, throwing the rag aside.

"You're done, huh?" Bease asked. "Well, let's see about that. Tigran?" Tigran walked up to the zoomer and pushed a few buttons on the display. The engine started up and started to emit a purring noise, a sign that the zoomer was in good condition. Keira grinned.

"Everything seems in order." Tigran said, he smiled at Keira and she felt herself blushing. _Why am I acting like this?_ She demanded herself.

"Well, I guess the girl has talent after all." Bease said. "Well, I guess you're hired. What's your name, Ms...?"

"Keira." Keira answered. "My name is Keira."


	9. Mortal Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that contains the Rape/Non-Con part of the story. It is an attempted rape, but if that is something that you would rather not read, feel free to skip this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Summary for those skipping: Jak almost gets raped by a prison guard and fights back to defend himself, killing the guard in the process. We have the first personality-shift appearance of Dark Jak, who revels in the murder, but horrifies the real Jak. Jak has nightmares about what Keira would say if she knew he was a murderer, and Sorus puts a fellow prisoner out of his misery.

It had been five months, five months in hell.

Five months.

150 days.

3,600 hours.

216,000 minutes.

12,960,000 seconds.

Five months that the treatments didn't feel any less painful. Fifteen men entered the 'Dark Warrior Program'… five never made it past the first treatment. Since then, it had been a guessing game. The Baron and Erol raised the Dark Eco level whenever they saw fit. Three more men had died this way. Two others had also died, but they died at the hands of their fellow experiments.

However, though all this hell, Jak, Sorus, and three other prisoners named Spike, John, and Onus were the only survivors left.

That day, everyone sat in different corners of their containment cell, not even bothering to look at each other. Each one trying to stay as still as possible as to not revive the pain in their sore limbs.

Jak sat in a corner, staring at his feet. A few strands of blonde hair blocked his vision, something he was not use to, and he continued to glare.

Jak had been having trouble with a temper lately. This was also something that he had never dealt with before. But now he found himself in a foul mood all the time. Jak, however, felt his anger was justified. After all, he had been wrongfully imprisoned and then used in the Baron's sick idea of a science experiment.

Jak felt anger boiling within him and he punched the wall for no particular reason. The rest of the men looked up and Jak stood up. "Praxis!" Jak roared although Praxis couldn't hear him. "Are these damned torture sessions supposed to break us? Because it's not working! You hear me, Praxis? You'll never break me!" Jak suddenly felt his anger run dry and he was suddenly aware of how foolish he looked. He sat back down, ignoring the gazes of the other men.

"Keep thinking that if it gives you hope." Onus said sadly. He was shivering violently. He hadn't felt well after their last treatment, and he was worried that it was Eco Poisoning. You develop a whole new fear of Eco Poisoning when you witness eight men die from it.

"You don't have Eco Poisoning." Spike said stubbornly.

"Don't give him false hope!" John hissed at him. And then he paused, a look of terror slowly spreading across his face. "The Guards are coming!"

Jak listened and he heard the sound of Krimzon Guard boots coming down the hall. This sound filled him with a pure terror; this sound meant that it was time for their daily torture.

A Krimzon Guard Captain led the group, and man who was obviously drunk. His eyes were blood-shot and he smelled of cheap booze. His blood-shot gaze scanned everyone in the small room. Finally his gaze fell on Jak. He grinned, but not the 'you're-about-to-be-tortured' grin, but a different one, one that gave Jak the creeps. "Him." The Captain said, pointing at Jak. The Guards opened the door and grabbed Jak, who put up a weak fight, but was quickly subdued.

The Guards began to lead Jak down the hallway, but it was not the way to the dreaded machine, which Jak had been on for several months, but a way that he had never been down before.

Without warning, Jak was tackled from behind and, caught off guard, he fell to the ground. He hit the ground hard and had all the wind knocked out of him. Someone was pinning him to the ground.

"Good job, men." The drunken Captain said, it was he who was bodily pinning Jak to the ground. "Now, go back to the cell and get another to go to Erol. This one is going to be 'busy.'" The Guards turned and ran off. Jak didn't like this at all, he didn't like it one bit.

The Captain flipped Jak over so that Jak was lying on his back. The drunk Captain's face was about an inch from Jak's… much too close. Jak could smell the booze on his breath and almost gagged. The man straddled Jak so that he couldn't move. "Augh! Get off me!" Jak spat.

"Shut up! You should thank me, bitch!" The drunken Captain said. "As long as you are here, you don't get a treatment."

"Cra…" Jak never finished his swear as the man forcefully pressed his mouth to Jak's. Jak squirmed and tried to escape, but he was weak from repeated torture, starving, and beatings. _No!_ Jak cried out in his mind as the man continued to force the kiss.

Finally the man stopped and Jak spat, trying to rid himself of the man's saliva. "Just try to scream." The Captain taunted. "No one is going to help a prisoner like you. You are worthless!" He gazed at Jak, his eyes full of lust. That look made Jak want to puke.

Jak was too preoccupied with the man's lust-filled eyes to pay attention to his hands… and big mistake. The next thing Jak realized the man was attacking his pants, trying to get at what he wanted. "No!" Jak cried as he vainly tried to fight this man off, but he was losing. Jak closed his eyes in despair. Then, quite suddenly, and deep rage welled up inside him. Jak's eyes opened, a violent fire burning just beyond. Something rose up within Jak. "No!" Jak repeated. This time, however, it was more like a growl. Jak, in his possessed rage, gripped the man him around the neck.

The man suddenly felt Jak's hands close in on his neck and he looked back into Jak's face. There was a change. He no longer saw a vulnerable little kid, but a rage that knew no bounds was shining out of his eyes. He was surprised, no one ever fought back. "What the…" He gasped, but he was unable to say anymore as Jak's grip closed off his windpipe.

Jak's eyes burned as his grip tightened, he was squeezing so hard that his fingernails had pierced the skin and was drawing a large amount of blood, which was staining Jak's hands. The man was trying to escape, but Jak held on, no pity or mercy was showing from his eyes.

Finally, the chocking began to subside and Jak watched as the light in the man's eyes flickered and went out. The man was dead. Jak had killed his first ever elf with his bare hands.

Jak rolled the body off him, his hands still drenched in the man's life-blood. He stood up and looked down at his first kill. Whatever had possessed Jak to kill a man was still in control, he looked no different, but his mind was not his own. He looked down at the corpse and laughed, he laughed like a maniac over his first killing. Jak, or the thing that possessed him, looked down at his hands, still covered in blood, the crimson contrasted with his skin and the beauty of the colors hypnotized Jak.

He brought his hand up to his mouth and began to lick the blood off his fingers. Jak shuttered in pleasure as the warm liquid ran down his throat, his breathing became shallow and ragged in ecstasy.

Suddenly, Jak stopped mid-lick. He slowly drew his hand away from his mouth in disgust at what he had just done. And then… he saw the body, the body of the man who tried to rape him. Jak looked at his blood-covered hands in horror, realizing the full extent of what he had done.

"No…" Jak gasped, falling to his knees. "No…" This was it, he had done it… the most evil of sins: he had killed another elf! This man, no matter his sins, would never see another day, and it was all Jak's fault. Jak didn't even realize that he was free during the hour it took the Guards to find him there. He was trying to invent some excuse that would make it all right. _He came at me first. He tried to rape me… I was just defending myself… I did nothing wrong._ But it wasn't working, he had killed someone and what was worse, on some level, deep within his mind, he ENJOYED it!

* * *

The Guards found Jak in that same spot, staring at his bloody hands and the body. He had been caught 'red-handed.' Jak had to endure several beatings. Most of them were for killing a Krimzon Guard Captain, and some were for daring to be out in the prison without a Guard around. But Jak didn't even feel them; his own conscious was more painful to him than a thousand beatings. _You're a murder, and you enjoyed it! What would Keira say if she saw you now?_

Jak looked down at his hands. No one even bothered to offer him a rag to clean off the blood, which had long since dried out. _She'd say I'm a monster._ Jak thought to himself sadly. _She'd hate me…_

* * *

(Night)

Jak was pegged by nightmares, as usual, but these ones were worse than usual.

Jak was drowning… drowning in blood. He tried desperately to get to the surface, but something was holding him back. Jak looked down to see what it was and almost screamed. It was a monster! It had pale skin, black malicious eyes, horns on its head, and strong, clawed fingers that were gripping Jak around the ankle.

"I live!" The demon proclaimed, its demonic voice echoing around Jak even though they were submerged in blood.

"What do you want?" Jak asked, though only bubbles came from his mouth.

This didn't seem to matter as the demon pondered the question. "To exist." The demon said finally. "But, I also what to help you get the revenge that you want in the deepest, darkest corners of your mind. Together, you and I, we can kill the one who is doing this to you… Baron Praxis!"

"Kill?" Jak asked. "But I don't want to kill. It's evil."

The demon laughed. "Poor young Jak, don't worry, it gets easier with every kill. Soon it gets where you can't wait to kill again!"

"I'll never be that way!" Jak swore. "NEVER!"

The demon laughed again. "We'll see." He paused. "We'll see."

The demon and the blood disappeared, but another figure appeared, that of a girl. Even though she had her back turned to Jak, he recognized her immediately.

"Keira!" He cried, running up towards her. She turned around to face him; her beautiful green eyes met Jak's. "Keira, it's me." Jak said, putting his arms around her. But, to his surprise, Keira backed away from him, confusion radiating from her eyes. "Keira?" Jak asked.

"Who are you?" Keira asked.

Jak's heart sank. "It's me… Jak."

"No." Keira said. "I don't know who you are, but you are not my Jak!" Keira shook her head disapprovingly. "My Jak would never kill someone, no matter what!"

Jak hung his head in shame. "He—he was—…" Jak paused. "He was going to rape me."

"So? My Jak would've used self-defense." Keira said. "My Jak would never kill… never… he'd never kill…" Keira slowly faded away and Jak was left on his own.

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" Jak cried out to the abyss, falling to his knees in anguish.

Suddenly, there was a loud growling noise, a familiar one. Jak got up and faced the monster that haunted his dreams. The monster was laughing as its tail swung around itself and, once again, embedded itself in Jak's stomach. Jak gasped in pain as it cut though his insides. Soon, the tail was withdrawn, but it took most of Jak's insides with it. "Thou shalt not kill!" The monster roared. Jak fell to his knees once again, hands cupped around the hole in his stomach. Jak looked down at his hands, covered in bright blood—his blood.

Jak felt the blood-loss begin to affect him. Jak fell over backwards and lay on the ground, a pool of blood slowly expanding on the ground around him.

"You see? You'll never win!" The monster laughed. "You shall die!"

* * *

Jak then woke up in cold sweat. He managed not to scream out loud and draw attention to himself. Jak looked around the dark cell; five other figures were there. Which meant that everyone had survived this round of treatments. Onus' form was shaking visibly… maybe he did have Eco Poisoning. Eco Poisoning could last anywhere from several seconds to a few weeks, depending on the natural Eco skills of the sick one.

"Where were you?" Someone asked. Jak looked up and saw that it was Sorus who asked him the question. "You were the first one taken, and the last one brought back… besides… I didn't hear your screams."

Jak looked away. "I don't want to talk about it." Jak said, looking at his hand, which was still stained in blood. _Someone up there must hate me._ Jak thought to himself.

"Well, I do, you lucky bastard." John said sourly. "You didn't get tortured today!"

"Just drop it, okay." Sorus said, taking Jak's side. "He doesn't want to talk about it."

"Of course. Protecting him, Sorus? After all, he is just a kid!" Spike growled. Everyone's tempers were rising. And there was a good chance that if they didn't stop, someone else was going to end up dead.

Jak's eyes screwed up with annoyance at everyone's bickering. Jak's eyes reopened with the same type of fire they had possessed earlier. "Do you what to know where I was?" Jak demanded angry. John and Spike nodded. "That bastard of a Captain took me to another part of the prison and tried to rape me!" Jak spat.

"Tried?" Sorus asked.

"Yes, 'tried'!" Jak snarled. "I killed him! I killed him with my bare hands!" Jak held up his hands to show them the bloodstains. "I killed that bastard, and I ENJOYED it!"

The other prisoners stared at Jak; they didn't understand why he was making such a big deal about it. They didn't understand that Jak was still young, 'goody-two-shoes' innocent boy on the inside and that he considered murder to be the most horrid of sins.

Suddenly, the sounds of someone emptying the contents of their stomach on the cell floor was heard and the argument stopped. Everyone turned towards Onus, who had just thrown up; he was now shivering harder than ever. Jak's anger evaporated as he studied the puke. Dark Eco was present, that was it, Onus was dying of Eco Poisoning. Jak walked over to Onus and squatted down so that he was eye level with him. "I have Eco Poisoning?" Onus asked.

Jak considered lying, but then he decided against it. "Yes." He said. "It's slow acting Eco Poisoning."

Onus let out a sigh that was more like a shudder. "I don't want to die from Eco Poisoning." He said finally. "And I can't stand the torture anymore… I just can't…" Tears formed and Jak admired him for it. "Please…" He begged. "You guys can make my death quick and painless."

Jak nodded. "Sorus? I can't kill again… never again… not even a mercy killing."

Sorus got up and moved over to where Onus lay. Jak moved out of the way, and everyone in the cell watched solemnly. Moonlight from a high, barred window illuminated Onus' face. Sorus placed his hands on either side of Onus' pale, sweating face. "This will be quick, I promise." Sorus said.

"Thank you." Onus gasped. With a quick movement, Sorus twisted Onus' neck, killing him instantly.

Sorus stood back and looked down at the body. "You know…" He said. "I've killed more people than I could count during my years as an assassin, but I can never remember feeling this sad."

"That's because he was a friend." Jak said.

"I guess it's just us now." Spike said, looking at Sorus, Jak, and John in turn. "And we will live long enough to make it out of here!"


	10. Tub of Lard

(Five months since we last saw Keira. Eight months since the beginning.)

"You did it!" Keira yelled in celebration as Tigran walked back into the Garage, carrying a small trophy. Keira ran up and hugged him. "You won! We're qualified to compete in the Class Races!"

"I'm getting the hang of this racing stuff." Tigran said.

"You and me both." Keira said, taking the trophy out of his hands and placing it on the shelf next to the others.

Tigran sat on the workbench. "I'm going to face Erol, the Grand Champion soon." Tigran said. "I'm a little nervous."

"Don't worry." Keira said. "You'll beat him, I know it."

"You think so?" Tigran asked.

"Of coarse." Keira said.

"That's the spirit!" Bease said, walking in, carrying the prize money. "Keira, can you run an errand?"

"Sure." Keira said.

"I need you to go and pick up some equipment." Bease said, handing Keira the money. "I've called already, so he'll have the stuff ready. I want you to go to our supplier and pick up the parts." He handed Keira the address to a place called Hip Hog Haven Saloon, which was in South Town near the Port.

"A bar?" Keira asked. "How are we going to get zoomer parts from a bar?"

Bease sighed. "The owner of the bar, Krew, is involved in many businesses… some less legal than others."

"Are you sure he's safe?" Keira asked.

"Positive." Bease said. "Uh… just don't get him angry. He has some of the best assassins in the world working for him, not to mention the Wastelanders."

So Keira, feeling more than slightly nervous, headed out, jumped onto a zoomer, and headed off towards South Town.

* * *

Keira had only been into South Town once or twice; but she had decided that it wasn't her favorite place in Haven City. Everything was smoking and made of metal, quite the opposite of her up bringing. The only slightly natural feature was the Port, but even that was artificial and polluted. She liked the Farming District the most because it was the closest thing to nature within Haven's walls.

She drove along the Port until she came to a bar with a large manikin of a Hip Hog above the door and a large sign proclaiming it as the 'Hip Hog Haven Saloon.'

Several zoomers were parked outside, even though it wasn't nearly late enough to be full. Keira carefully parked her zoomer and headed for the door. A huge, dark-skinned elf in strange armor barred the doorway. He carried a large, deadly looking weapon and an eyepiece covered his left eye. "Hold on." He said, blocking Keira's path. "Name and business?"

"Keira Hagai." Keira answered. "I work for Bease Racing. I need to buy some parts from Krew."

"Fine." The man said. "I'm Sig, Wastelander, Bouncer, and Body Guard." Sig looked Keira up and down. "Girl, I hope you have a strong stomach."

Keira was confused. "Why?"

Sig sighed. "You'll see." He stepped aside, allowing Keira to enter the bar. The smell of cheap booze assaulted her nose and she ignored the looks some of the men were giving her. She looked around from someone who might be Krew, hoping it wasn't one of the catcalling men.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. "Mmm. A young and pretty one, eh?" Keira spun around and nearly threw up. Now she knew why Sig had wished that she had a strong stomach and, as it turns out, it wasn't very strong at all.

The man who had spoken to her was so horrendously fat… so… disgustingly fat that he couldn't even walk by himself. He used a hover chair. He was blind in one eye and he fanned himself with a small fan. But, mother of holy crap he was fat! "Krew?" Keira asked in a small voice, hoping against hope that this… blimp wasn't Krew.

"Aye." The man responded. "What do you want?"

 _No!_ Keira thought. "I'm Keira, I work as a mechanic on Bease Racing. We need some zoomer parts."

"Of coarse, anything for old Bease, eh?" Krew said, floating off. "Too bad he won't accept illegal parts."

Suddenly, a new voice sounded behind Keira. "Excuse me?" Keira turned around and found herself looking into the yellowish eyes of a man with orange hair. A face that everyone in Haven City knew, Erol, the Baron's right hand man and the Grand Racing Champion of Haven City. He was wearing armor like the Krimzon Guards, except it wasn't bulky, rather light and thin. "I am Erol, the Baron's right hand man." He said, putting emphasis on the last part.

"I know who you are." Keira said.

"So…" Erol said, moving on. "You work for Old Man Bease?"

"Yes." Keira said, biting her tongue. "I'm the mechanic."

"A female mechanic, huh?" Erol said. "Though I've heard you are quite good."

"Well, we are qualified to compete in the Class Races now." Keira said proudly.

"Well, I guess Bease Racing is competition now." Erol said. "I hope your driver is very good. People die in the Class Races all the time."

"Don't worry about Tigran." Keira said. "He'll do fine."

"Hmm…" Erol sighed. Then he looked up at the clock that hung above the door. "Oh dammit! Look at the time!" It was near two o'clock. "I've got to be at the prison!" He looked back at Keira. "See you on Race Day." He said before rushing out.

"Here are the parts, eh." A voice said. Keira turned around and saw Krew with another, athletic, man who obviously worked for Krew. This man was holding a large bag of zoomer parts. "Just as Bease requested. Now, the money?" Keira handed Krew the money for the parts. "Thank you, eh." Krew said, floating away with the money.

Keira looked at the man who worked for Krew. "How can you stand being in the same room with that Tub of Lard?" Keira asked.

The man shrugged. "He pays good."

Keira let this subject drop and walked out of the bar just before a bunch of men showed up to celebrate that days race, half naked and swinging beers. One man had the nerve to grab Keira's backside. She spun around as fast as she could with the bag of parts and slapped the offending man as hard as she could, which turned out to be quite hard.

The man felt his red cheek in surprise. Keira glared at him before turning to walk out. The sound of one of the man's friends laughing followed her out. "Dude… HAHA… you just got hit by a girl!"

* * *

"Did you get the parts?" Bease asked as Keira walked back into the Garage.

"Yes." Keira said, setting the parts on the table. "But I don't see why you sent me to that flying blimp of an elf."

"Well… he gives me discounts." Bease answered. "We're old friends." Bease paused. "Well, no matter, you've got the parts. The Class Three Race begins in three weeks. This zoomer should be ready by then." With that, Bease walked out, leaving Keira and Tigran alone in the Garage.

"Bease has taken a real liking to you." Tigran said offhandedly. Keira glanced at Tigran in surprise and he seemed to realize what he just said. "Uh… I don't mean like that… more like a daughter."

"I have a father." Keira said.

"Really?" Tigran asked. "You never talk about him."

"It's… too painful to think about it… along with everything else I've lost." Keira sighed. "So, you've never told me how you got here. I won't tell you my past until you tell me yours."

Tigran looked away. "My mother… died… giving birth to me. My father was a Krimzon Guard who couldn't be bothered with raising a child, so I was basically on my own from day one. When he died… I honestly didn't care, because I hardly knew him. I've been alone since. I became a Wastelander, working for Krew, as soon as I could lift a weapon and aim properly. I wasn't very good, so Krew passed me off to Bease because of my racing potential. That's how I ended up here." Tigran looked at Keira. "Now it's your turn."

Keira took a breath. "Well, I wasn't born in Haven City. I came here about eight months ago with my father, a… friend, and his friend." Keira sighed. "We got separated and I haven't seen them ever since. I can only hope that they are alright."

"Well, the City is only so big. They have to be here somewhere, don't they?" Tigran asked.

"I don't even know if they are in the City." Keira said. _Or in this time, for that matter._ Keira thought. "I'd rather not talk about that."

"Keira?" Tigran asked nervously. She looked up and found Tigran gazing at her, his brown eyes full of love. He began to lean into her and Keira realized that he was about to kiss her! This time, the kiss wasn't stopped by a third party, but by Keira herself. At the last moment Keira turned her head aside. The kiss that was meant to claim her lips hit her cheek instead. Tigran backed away, his brown eyes full of hurt. "Keira?"

Keira sighed. "I'm sorry, Tigran. But…" Keira paused. "My heart belongs to someone else."

"Who?" Tigran asked.

"Someone I will never give up on." Keira said. "I love him and I know he loves me in return."

"But… who is it?" Tigran asked.

"Remember one of the friends I told you about?" Keira asked, Tigran nodded. "His name is Jak. I have loved him for a long time, and I won't give up on him."

Tigran watched Keira. "Well, if you love this 'Jak' so much, I guess I haven't a hope." H turned to walk out.

"Tigran, wait!" Keira called after him. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything…"

"No, Keira, you haven't offended me." Tigran said. "Love is the one thing we have no control over. If two people love each other, than no one can get in the way unless they doubt their love. I hope you find your Jak." Tigran walked away, leaving Keira alone and, strangely, hurt.

"I'm sorry, Tigran." Keira said after he was gone. "But I love Jak… even if I never see him again…" Keira looked down at the parts that she had to install before the first Class Races. But she couldn't concentrate. She had three weeks, so she set the parts aside, locked up the Garage and left.

* * *

Keira got to Carla's house, still in the Slums, but the house was in much better condition. In eight months, Keira had learned how to find her way from the Stadium to Carla's house no problem, and visa-versa.

She walked into the house and was greeted by an enthusiastic Carla. "Keira! I heard your team won the race today!"

"Yes, and now we're qualified to compete in the Class Races." Keira said, less than excitedly.

"The Slummers will all be cheering for Tigran." Carla said. "We've been waiting years for Erol to fall and it seems he has a good chance as anybody! So…" Carla put her hands on her hips. "Did anything interesting happen at work today?"

"Funny you should ask that…" Keira said.

"No, it's not. I ask the same question every day." Carla laughed.

"Well, first I got sent to this REALLY fat bar owner in South Town to get zoomer parts. I met Commander Erol there and, to top it all off, Tigran has revealed that he loves me."

"Really?" Carla asked.

"Yes, he almost kissed me." Keira said.

"So, are you going out with him?" Carla asked. "That's a smart match."

"No, it's not." Keira said. "I still love someone else."

"Jak?" Carla asked.

"Yes." Keira said, blushing. "I can't love another."

"So… what did he look like?" Carla asked, sounding every bit like a teenage girl trying to get her friend to talk about her crush.

"Well… he was a hero…"

"Ah… the heroic type."

"Are you making fun of me?" Keira asked.

"No, it's just… odd." Carla said. "The name 'Jak' is well-known among those who worship the Precursors. That was the name of a hero who lived more than five-hundred years ago."

Keira paused. Five hundred years. That was about the time Jak had destroyed the Robot. Keira almost laughed. Jak was famous here.

"So… what else?" Carla asked.

"Well, he had blonde hair with natural green highlights. He was seventeen when I last saw him, but he must be eighteen by now. And…" Keira's eyes glazed over as she remembered Jak's face. "His smile… when he smiled, it was like nothing else mattered. His eyes were the same exact color of the ocean we lived by, an ocean-blue. I think I first fell in love with his eyes. He was a mute, but he was perfect…"

"Sounds handsome." Carla said, laughing. "I can't believe it. I sounded the same way when I used to talk about my husband. Going on and on about his strength and his eyes. I guess we're just the same. Two love-struck women who have lost their men and have nothing but each other."

"Not lost." Keira said. "I'm going to find Jak, even if I'm searching for the rest of my life."


	11. The Final Blow

Jak, Sorus, Spike, and John were still alive… in a manner of speaking. The Guards that were charged with what was now commonly referred to as 'Freak Duty' had begun to think they had all lost their minds. Day and night, not a single sound came from the prisoners, only the screams that came from their broken souls during the continued torture they still received on a daily basis.

The Baron and Erol were pleased with this new development. They watched though a video system that they had installed in the cell not long before while the experiments were asleep.

"See that, Commander?" The Baron asked, pointing at the screen. "They each have taken a corner of the room for their own. They never cross over the lines that separate these different 'territories' and there is no communication. They have reverted back to primitive male behavior… territorial and aggressive… amazing. They are more like enhanced animals, living off instinct."

"Sir…" Erol began, pointing at the screen. It appeared that Spike had tried to cross into John's territory. And, being driven by testosterone and rage, John attacked. Jak and Sorus looked up and watched the fight with an uninterested look on their faces as Spike and John ripped at each other with their teeth in an animalistic fighting style that reminded Erol of Metal-Heads. When left alone, Metal-Heads would spar with each other, ripping and tearing until one or the other was nothing but a large pile of mangled flesh.

John immediately got the upper hand, pinning Spike to the ground and tearing at his face.

"Sir, shouldn't we stop this?" Erol asked.

"No." Praxis said. "Better let them duke it out. The loser is going to be the weaker one, and I have no need for a weak warrior."

"But, sir, if they go on like this… there will only be one left…"

"Yes. And that one will be the strongest and most cunning of all of them… the one worthy of being the Dark Warrior." Praxis said.

"Sire?" Erol pointed at the screen. John had won the fight… and Spike was in pieces.

"Scratch out Number Five." The Baron said. Erol got out the register and found Spike's number. Beside it, he briefly noted that he had been killed at the hands of his fellow experiment.

"Sir. It's two o'clock." Erol reminded Praxis.

Praxis laughed. "Ah yes, our favorite time of the day." He pointed John out on the screen, who had just resumed his place like nothing had happened. "Him first… the winner deserves it."

* * *

The Guards slowly approached the cell. Every one of them was well aware of the prisoner's violence and they knew that they had all killed their fair share of Guards. Even the boy, considered the softest of the group, had a lot of Krimzon Guard blood on his hands. Racking up a number of almost thirty kills in a little over a year. The Guards were creeped out by the way the three remaining prisoners just sat there, completely oblivious to everything around them. They were like zombies, incapable of thought or feeling.

The Guards opened the doors and went to get John in the far corner. The other prisoners didn't even look up. "I hate this part." One Guard mumbled as they grabbed John, who didn't put up any fight, and began to lead him back to the cell door.

Suddenly, a snarl rent though the air. The Guards realized instantly what had happened. They had unwittingly lead John into Sorus' territory. "Get out of the way!" The Captain yelled. It was the Guard's instant obedience that saved them. They got out of the way just as the prisoners clashed.

The two prisoners began to rip at each other. John, who was still recovering from the last fight, didn't stand a chance against Sorus. It was all over within seconds. "Two deaths in one day?" One Guard wondered. "At this rate, it won't be long before there is only one left."

"What do we do now?" One Guard asked. "The Baron personally requested him." He pointed at the mangled remains of John.

"Just grab another one." The Captain ordered. "And be sure not to take him close to the other." The men grabbed Jak. Jak, unlike the others, still had some fight in him. He flailed aimlessly, trying to get away. His foot caught one of the Guards round the head, snapping his neck, and killing him instantly. Jak didn't even react beyond fighting harder, but the Guards did. "Restrain him!" The Captain ordered. Instantly, Jak was restrained with ropes and chains, anything the Guards had, but he was still fighting; growling and snarling at the Guards.

"I don't think the Baron knows what he's getting into." One Guard said. "It won't be long before we can't control them."

"Don't let the Baron hear you say that, or he'll put you on that machine." Another Guard advised.

"Oh well, let's just get this over with." Another Guard said, grabbing the end of one of the ropes and tugging. The rope was wrapped around Jak's neck and he coughed as it tightened. Once he could breathe again, however, he hissed at the Guard. The Guard scowled and led Jak out of the cell, down the hall towards the machine.

When they entered the all-too-familiar torture room they were greeted by Erol, who saw instantly that the men were not escorting John, but Jak.

"What is this?" Erol demanded. "The Baron asked for Number Three!"

"There was an accident." The Captain explained. "Back in the Cell. Number Three was killed by Number Thirteen. So we brought Number Eleven instead."

"A pity." Erol said. "But, if it was weak, than it was for the better." Erol paused for a quick laugh. "So, only two left?" Erol grabbed Jak by the chin. "You are a little survivor, aren't you?" Jak's only response was trying to bite off Erol's hand. Unfortunately, Erol pulled his hand back just in time. Rage burned in his eyes as he pulled out a dagger. "Why you!" Erol snarled as he slashed Jak across the face, leaving a long cut from the right side of his forehead to the left side of his chin. He was lucky not to lose an eye.

Jak growled, but couldn't retaliate, for he was still bound. Erol continued to glare at Jak, but then he gasped, dropping the knife in surprise. The wound began to bleed a strange substance. A substance that was half blood, and part a dark substance that could only be Dark Eco. The Dark Eco covered the wound and, instead of destroying it, it actually began to heal it! Within seconds, the wound was completely healed. It was like he had never been cut in the first place! However, this wasn't all good. The Dark Eco was healing him, but what was left of Jak in his mind was in pain. The Dark Eco hurt while it healed, it felt like he was dying and coming back to life at the same time.

Erol grinned. "Excellent." He paused. "Double the Eco input!"

One scientist gasped. "But… sir…?"

"Don't argue with me!" Erol roared, the scientist cowered, and immediately began to adjust the controls on the machine.

The Guards threw a snarling Jak into the metal chair and got his hands and feet into the restraints before he figured out how to rip though rope and chain and kill them all.

Erol walked over to the chair. "You, my little pet, will be our Dark Warrior!" Erol proclaimed. He backed away, so that he was not in the way when the treatments began. The whole point of torture was to torture the victim, not yourself.

Erol pressed the BUTTON on the control panel. The machine hummed ominously as it warmed up, it's cold metal gleaming in the green-tinted light. Dark Eco volts slowly made it's way down the machine until they reached the tip. From there, a huge amount of Dark Eco jumped straight from the machine into Jak's body.

Then the pain started. Even though Jak had long since lost his mind, he was still capable of feeling pain. He screamed, because that was all he could do. The machine warmed up and the Eco input increased even more. Jak's pain-filled scream increased in volume and anguish until even Erol had to cover his ears at the sound.

The screaming continued for at least another hellish minute, during which more than one scientist lost their lunch at the sheer horror of it. Finally, the screaming died down, along with the machine. Erol uncovered his ears and looked down at Jak, who was trying hard to stay awake, but failing miserably.

"Well?" Erol spoke up. "Any new developments?"

One green-faced scientist began to study the data that was coming out of the computer. "Uh… no new developments." The scientist paused. "Sir?" The scientist began slowly. "We haven't had a new development in months. Perhaps they reach a certain level, and then stop…"

"Are you suggesting we give up?" Erol asked coldly.

"Uh…" The scientist cowered, realizing he had just said something wrong.

"So, we just let these things go? 'You are free to go. Oh, and sorry for all the stuff we put you though for over a year!" Erol spat mockingly. "The Baron decides if and when this project is terminated!"

"I was just concerned about…" The scientist began.

"The lab rats?" Erol finished. "It's not good to become connected to our weapons. It affects judgment. And we have no need for that on our project!" Erol snapped his fingers and a dozen guns were aimed at the unlucky scientist. Gunshots echoed around the room and the man was pierced by a dozen bullets. There was no way he could've survived.

His limp body fell to the floor and blood began to pool around his still form. Erol looked completely unconcerned that he had just killed his lead scientist. He turned around to look at Jak, who was staring at the dead body with an almost hungry look in his stormy blue eyes. Erol snorted. "Animal." He spat. "Take this thing back to the cell, and bring the other one. And no accidents this time, hmm?" With that, Jak was unstrapped and led away.

* * *

(Several Days Later)

Happily, Jak and Sorus' minds were slowly returning. In fact, there were times when they were they enjoyed each other's company. During these times, they mourned for Spike and John. Some of the Guards talked about what had happened to them, and they were horrified to find that they were killing each other.

"We were suppose to get out of here together." Jak said. "But now they will never get that chance."

"John because of me." Sorus said. "And Spike because of John."

However, they weren't fully healed yet. There were still times when they lost their minds and hated each other's guts.

Sadly, it was a time when they hated each other. They were far beyond sitting on opposite sides of the room. Instead, they stood in the center of the room, just on their sides of the imaginary line, as though daring the other to try and make a move.

Suddenly, Sorus growled and stepped onto Jak's side. Jak roared with fury that someone would dare to intrude on his territory! Without wasting a second, Jak tackled Sorus. He instantly responded by pushing Jak off him with a roar. Jak instantly launched himself at Sorus once again. Thus, the final fight began.

* * *

"Sir?" Erol asked, watching the screen as Sorus swiped at Jak's face. "The last two are going at it."

The Baron peered at the screen as Jak attempted to bite Sorus, but his teeth hit only empty air. Sorus swung at Jak, but the attack missed because Jak was very swift. Jak started a counter-offensive, attacking Sorus blindly. "Good." Praxis said. "Be sure to congratulate the winner for me."

Erol sighed and turned back to the screen.

* * *

Slowly, Sorus was gaining the upper hand. He was older, bigger, and had more experience in the art of killing than Jak. The only thing that kept Jak from getting pounded to a pulp was his superior agility.

Sorus swung once again for Jak's head, but Jak rolled out of the way with a growl. Before Sorus knew what was happening, Jak had recovered. Jak jumped up and grabbed Sorus by the collar of his prison outfit. Jak then seemed to fall over backwards, but he was taking Sorus with him. Instead of falling to the ground, Jak performed a sort of backwards roll, sending Sorus over Jak and flying into the wall that had been behind Jak. Sorus flew though the air and hit the wall; the force of the hit shattered his spine right below the shoulder blades.

Everything below the break stopped working and everything above exploded in pain.

Jak finished his roll and got up, turning to face Sorus, madness gleaming in his eyes. Jak saw the damage. Sorus lay on the ground, nothing but a broken rag-doll. Sorus might've had a chance to live… if it weren't for what Jak did next.

He walked over to Sorus and knelt down beside him. What happened next the Baron and Erol couldn't see because Jak had his back to the camera and Jak never remembered. With the help of whatever darkness resided in his veins, Jak's fingernails elongated into long cruel claws. Without a second thought, Jak plunged his new claws straight into Sorus' abdomen. Sorus let out a cry as Jak tore into his abdominal cavity, casually ripping out intestines as he saw fit.

Sorus wasn't going to live. Jak had seen to that. Even if there was a Guard around to witness this, they wouldn't have stopped it. They had been given orders not to stop the fights. Even if they didn't have orders, they wouldn't have gone into the cell with a mindless killer they knew as Number Eleven.

Jak ripped his bloodstained claws out of Sorus and roared in triumph as his fingernail shrunk back to their regular size.

Fate… can be vindictive at times and Fate seemed to hate Jak's guts. It was at that moment that Jak's madness let him. Jak blinked in confusion, and then happened to look down.

Jak's eyes widened at the sight that met him. It was a scene right out of his most horrible nightmares. Sorus was lying on the ground before him, his stomach was ripped open and his intestines were spread around the floor in a strange, bloody design. However, the worst part was the bright red, slightly purple, blood on his hands, revealing the designer of this gory pattern.

"No!" Jak gasped in horror. "No! Sorus! I've… killed you!"

"Not… quite…" Jak looked down at Sorus, who had spoken.

"Sorus!" Jak cried. "Don't worry, I'll help you!" Jak pressed his hands against the hole, but the only thing he succeeded in doing was getting up to his wrists in blood.

"No, Jak… it won't help…" Sorus growled, forcing Jak's hands away from the hole.

"You'll heal!" Jak said, remembering that they had enhanced healing factors. He had heard mention of it. "It will heal!"

"No…" Sorus replied, winching.

"It will! It will!" Jak cried desperately.

"Jak… we can heal scratches… sometimes bullet wounds…" Sorus gasped. "You ripped out half my insides…"

"Oh God, Sorus!" Jak cried. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I wasn't myself!"

"I know, Kid… I know…" Sorus gasped. The pain of his various injuries were beginning to overwhelm him. "I forgive you, Kid. It's the Baron… he's done something to us…" Sorus coughed up some blood. Jak shook his head in silent denial. "Jak… promise me… you'll escape. Promise me you'll get out of here… alive!"

Jak nodded. "I promise."

Sorus smiled up at Jak in an encouraging sort of way. Then… his eyes closed, his head fell to the bloodstained cell floor, and his soul left his body forever. Sorus was dead.

"No…" Jak breathed, realizing that he was alone… dreadfully alone in this place. He had just killed his own friend. The one man who had been nice to him when he arrived in prison over a year ago… scared, mute, and naïve… he was dead. Jak threw his head to the ceiling. "NOOO!" Jak cried out. Within that single cry was all the pain, anger, hopelessness, and anguish that he had felt for over a year. It was at that moment that Jak of Sandover died forever.

* * *

Jak sat in the corner of his lonely cell, the last survivor of the Dark Warrior program. He sat with his knees up to his chest, with his forehead resting on his knees, and his arms wrapped around his legs. Slowly, Jak looked up at the opposite wall with dead, hallow, hopeless eyes. He didn't cry on the outside, but on the inside, he was weeping uncontrollably.

"I can't…" Jak said despairingly. "I can't even remember who I am." Jak closed his eyes and tried to remember Sandover. He couldn't see it so clearly anymore; the Sandover of his memories was dull and colorless. He tried to remember the fun times he had growing up as a child. He remembered nothing from before his sixth year, but even the memories he did have were dim.

He tried to remember the fun times with Daxter and Keira. Oh God… Keira. Jak missed her more than he could imagine. He missed how they would sneak out at night, go to the beach, and watch the waves crash against the white sands. Some nights they would go stargazing. They would try to find their own constellations. Jak remembered that Keira had once lovingly named one of the brighter stars after him, telling him it glowed with a beautiful light… just like his soul.

Jak sighed. His soul wasn't a bright light anymore, but a terrible darkness that swallowed everything that it came into contact with.

There was a single window in the cell. Jak had never bothered trying to escape though it because it was too high and had what looked like a force field covering it. A single star briefly shown though. The only star with enough power to shine though the clouds. Jak hadn't seen a star in a long time, because the clouds always covered them. Subconsciously, he wondered if the star already had a name, but he already had a name for it. 'Keira.'

Jak sighed and lowered his gaze, back to the cell walls. "I'm sorry, Keira." Jak said to no one. "I can't remember who I am. That person is dead. I can't remember who I am." Jak looked over at the blood spot, where Sorus' body had laid until it was picked up. "But I will escape… I swear it!" Jak growled.

Jak looked up at the camera that he knew was there. "PRAXIS!" Jak roared. "I'm going to get out of here someday! And when I do… I'm going to KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME? I'M NOT GOING TO REST UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD! DEAD!"

* * *

"Well, it seems that Number Eleven is quite angry with us." Praxis observed. There was no audio, so Praxis and Erol didn't know what Jak was yelling.

"Very angry." Erol agreed.

"Yes, well, increase the Dark Eco exposure." Praxis ordered. "That should break its spirit. After all…" Praxis grinned. "We can't have our weapon backfiring on us…" Praxis laughed.


	12. Mortality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minor Character Death in this chapter.

Bease stood next to the Trophy Shelf in the empty garage, admiring the collection of trophies that their team had managed to win. Tigran had taken Keira out for lunch. Bease laughed to himself, Tigran was wasting his time. Every time Bease saw her, he knew her heart was with another.

Keira considered Tigran a close friend and nothing more.

Bease spotted the newest trophy, for the Class Three Races. The small engraved plaque read. 'First Place. Bease Racing.' Bease wiped some imaginary dust off the trophy face, admiring his reflection in the polished bronze metal.

"I can't wait 'til Tigran faces Erol!" Bease said out loud to himself. "I know that kid is going to be the one to beat him!"

"Is that so?" A new, cold voice asked. Bease spun around and found someone lurking in the shadows… someone with orange hair and yellowish eyes.

"You!" Bease yelled accusingly. "What are you doing here?"

"Be careful, old man, don't give yourself a heart attack." The man laughed. "Now, your pretty boy racer wins a few races and he's already ready to take the top racing spot in the City?"

"That kid has talent, and you know it!" Bease said, pointing a finger at the shadow.

The figure laughed, shaking his head. "That may be so, but talent is no good if you are dead." The figure pulled out a gun, it gleamed in the light.

"No!" Bease said, backing away from the figure. "The Baron…"

"The Baron and I have… an understanding…" The understatement of all time. "The Baron needs me." The figure pointed the deadly weapon straight at Bease's heart.

"You'll regret this." Bease said.

"Really?" The man asked. "Well, I'll have to deal with that later." The man pulled the trigger. The bullet found its mark in Bease's chest, piecing his heart. The old man never even had the chance to cry out. He fell to the floor and his pale blue eyes, even in death, were wide open in shock.

The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing that it was, in fact, Erol. He walked over to Bease's body. The staring, pale blue eyes gave him the creeps and he closed them.

Erol quickly surveyed the scene. Once he was satisfied, he pulled out his communicator. "Captain? Report of Garage Three immediately! There has been a murder!"

* * *

(Restaurant in Main Town)

Tigran and Keira, like Bease knew, were having lunch together. However, while Keira went as a friend, Tigran tried to pretend that it was a date.

"I love you, Keira." Tigran said.

Keira sighed as she used her fork to play with her salad. "Tigran?"

"Yes?"

"I… I can't." She put the fork down. "Every day you tell me that you love me, but I love someone else…"

Tigran shook his head in amazement. "Amazing… you show this kind of devotion to a guy you haven't seen in over a year!"

"A year and a half." Keira said. And how she hated every moment of that time.

"Whatever." Tigran said. "You don't even know where this guy is! For all you know, he could've run off with someone else!"

"Jak wouldn't do that!" Keira retorted. "I've known him since we were children. Jak's too kind, noble, and honest to do that."

"People change, Keira." Tigran said. For some reason, that phrase echoed in Keira's mind like it was important.

"Uh… Ms. Keira and Mr. Tigran?" A new voice asked. Keira and Tigran turned around and saw that the speaker was a young Krimzon Guard, one who seemed no older than eighteen.

"Yes?" Keira asked, worried that they were about to get arrested. "What is it?"

"You two work for Bease Racing?" The Guard asked.

Keira glanced at Tigran, and then back to the Guard. "Yes. Is something wrong?"

"Yes. Something is wrong." The Guard said. "Bease was found a little while ago in your garage by Commander Erol…"

"What are you getting at?" Tigran asked. "And what do you mean 'found'?"

"Mr. Bease… was found dead with a bullet wound to the chest." The Guard said as Keira and Tigran gasped in unison. "He was murdered."

* * *

Several days after Erol murdered old Bease, there was a quiet funeral at Haven Cemetery. The Priest read passages from the Holy Book which spoke of death.

Keira wasn't listening. She was sure that the ceremony was beautiful, but she was filled with grief. She stood there, in the rain, with a black dress on, and wept silently for the man that gave her a job when no one else would.

Tigran was standing beside her, also dressed in black, but he didn't cry. He just carried a solemn look. _It must be hard._ Keira thought. _Tigran knew him better than I did._

Finally the service was over and the people began to mingle and console one another. Krew was there, talking about the 'Glory Days' he had with Bease as a 'partner.'

Tigran wordlessly gave Keira an affectionate hug, which she didn't protest this time. She figured that Tigran needed all the comfort that he could get. Finally, he let go, gave Keira a slight nod, and walked away.

Keira was left alone… for about three seconds. "Keira?" Keira spun around and saw that it was Erol.

"Commander?" Keira asked.

"Please, call me Erol." He said. "Titles are for people you work with, not your friends."

Keira almost told him that he was most defiantly NOT her friend, but she caught herself. Erol was the Commander of the Krimzon Guards and the Baron's Right Hand Man. He was not a man you would want to provoke. "Erol? What are you doing here?" She asked instead.

"I've come to pay my respects to Bease, of coarse." Erol said with a laugh. "He was a great manager… hell, he started Bease Racing. But… you know… there isn't much of a future for a Race Team without a manager." Erol paused to let this sink in. "But, you know, I happen to have an opening on my Racing Team… I need a good mechanic. You may be a girl, but you are one of the best mechanics I've ever seen." Erol rested a hand on Keira's shoulder. To a bystander, this move would seem innocent, but Keira felt his finger rubbing her neck in an intimate sort of way.

Keira immediately panicked. "Uh…" She said intelligently, pulling away from him. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to join your Race Team."

For the first time, Erol seemed to become angry. "You'll never make it without a manager!"

"There will be a manager." Keira said calmly.

"Who?" Erol asked.

"Me." Keira said, smiling.

* * *

"You?" The Director of Haven Racing asked. Keira had gone straight to the Director of Racing right after the funeral… heck, she was still wearing the black dress!

"Yes, is that a problem?" Keira asked.

"Well… uh… no offense, but… you're a… girl." The Director said.

Now Keira was beginning to get ticked off. She was getting sick of all this 'But you're a girl' crap. Keira, in one word, exploded. "So, a girl can't be a Racing Manager, huh? What makes men better at managing a Racing Team? Just because I have breasts doesn't mean that I can't do that job as well as any man can!" Upon Keira's 'breast' comment, the Director was having a very hard time not looking at Keira's chest. Keira glared at him and his eyes instantly went back to her face. "I'm still going to be the mechanic, but I'll manage the team also." Keira said this as though it ended the matter.

The Director nodded dumbly and Keira left. _Man!_ The Director thought to himself. _One girl mentions the word 'breasts' and you crumble like a cookie. I've got to learn to be more assertive!_

* * *

So it was that Keira became the very first female Race Manager in Haven's history. This surprised many of the other (all-male) race teams, and many doubted that a mere female could handle managing a race team. That was, until they raced against the duo of Keira and Tigran, the Manager/Mechanic and the Racer. Bease Racing (Keira opted to keep the name in memory of Bease) quickly became one of the top racing teams in the city, second only to Erol's team.

Two months after Bease's death, Keira had transformed Bease Racing into a top team, even though it had the least amount of members out of all the teams. They worked hard, but things were beginning to come together for Keira. And she enjoyed the support she got from the females of Haven City.

She was even taking on a few side projects, one of which was her prototype JetBoard and the other was something slightly more important.

Keira couldn't figure out why she didn't think of starting this type of project earlier. It was, in fact, a replica of the Rider that took Samos, Jak, Daxter, and herself though the ring over one and a half years ago. She had thought so much of finding her friends that she hadn't really thought beyond that. 'Daddy! Jak! Daxter! I've missed you so much!' And… what then? They'd still be stuck in the wrong time. They would need a Rider to get home and Keira was just the girl to build another one.

She refused to tell anyone what the machine did and she eventually took to calling it her 'Secret Vehicle Project.'

"So… will you tell me what this thing does?" Tigran asked.

"If I did, then I'd have to kill you." Keira replied jokingly, welding two pieces of metal together with a blowtorch. She was lucky, most of the pieces were easy enough to find. However, she was still missing three pieces: the Time Map, the ruby button that Keira now knew was called the Heart of Mar, and, most importantly, a Precursor Ring.

"This project is way to big to just be a hobby." Tigran said. "What does it do?"

"Hopefully, it will make you shut up." Keira laughed.

"It's hard to keep quiet." Tigran said, pointing towards the trophy case, which was considerably fuller than on the day of Bease's death.

"Yes, you've been doing very well, but we haven't beaten Erol yet." Keira reminded him. "Once you do… then we'll be the Champions!"

"Speaking of champions…" Tigran said, looking up at the clock. "It's almost time for my big race against Erol." He winked at Keira and spouted a familiar message. "I love you, Keira."

And then, to his ultimate surprise, Keira replied. "I love you too." Tigran stared at Keira, hardly daring to believe that she had finally moved on from her 'Jak.' But then Keira cracked a smile. "As a brother." She finished.

Tigran made a motion like someone had just stabbed him. "Ouch, that really hurt! When did you get so good at sarcasm?"

"I knew the master." Keira said, thinking of Daxter.

"Well, I'm off… for the race of my life." Tigran walked out. Keira shook her head slightly before following him out.

* * *

"Go, Tigran, go!" Keira screamed from her track-side seat in the manager's box as Tigran began the fifth and final lap of the race, just a few seconds behind Erol.

However, little did she know, disaster was about to rear its ugly head and strike.

Back in the shadows, a figure waited, hidden from view of everyone in the stadium. Sniper-rifle in hand, he flipped of the safety, flinching slightly at the same 'click' sound. However, with all the shouting in the stadium, it was unlikely that someone would hear the noise. He lifted the rifle up and peered though the scope, aiming at his target. He didn't know why this guy needed to be taken out and, frankly, he didn't really care. That was what assassins were for, to take a hit on somebody without question. This guy had a hit placed on him, and the assassin was going to get a sweet payoff for his death.

The assassin took careful aim. Hitting a racing zoomer going full speed around a track was not an easy task, and he was the only one who could attempt such an impossible shot. The target was approaching the finish line. He would need to act fast. The deal was to kill him before he finished the race. Any later, and he wouldn't get paid. He made a quick calculation and fired. Lucky for him, the gun was silenced, so no one could've heard him. He watched as the bullet found its mark on the target's fuel tank…

* * *

It all happened so fast. Tigran had past Erol in the turn for the final stretch. "Go!" Keira screamed her head off as Tigran got closer to the finish line. This was it! He was going to defeat Erol and become the City's next Grand Champion of Racing in Haven City!

Quite suddenly, all her hopes were blown up… literally.

Twenty feet from the finish line Tigran's zoomer exploded, raising quite a commotion from the crowd. "No!" Keira scream as she watched Tigran's body become engulfed by flames. The zoomer skidded to a halt just ten feet short of the finish line.

"What was that?" The announcer roared over the crowd. "Tigran's zoomer has exploded not twenty feet from the finish line! And here comes Erol! Erol wins! Medics are rushing down to the track now to recover what is left of Tigran!"

Keira joined the medics in running over to the smoldering pile of what used to be a zoomer. "Tigran!" She cried, running around to the other side of the zoomer. Tigran was trapped under the zoomer. "Tigran!" Keira cried.

"Keira?" Tigran asked weakly. His body was badly burned; only a racing mask protected his face.

"Come on, men. Let's get this thing off him." The head medic ordered his helpers. The men began to work together to lift the zoomer off his body.

"AUGH!" Tigran cried out as the zoomer moved.

"Wait!" Keira cried out. "There's something wrong!" The men stopped and Keira inspected the scene. She gasped. "Oh my God!" The covering of the zoomer had pieced right though his stomach all the way though and embedded itself in the concrete racetrack, effectively pinning him to the track. To move the zoomer would only speed up his inevitable death. "Tigran…" Keira breathed, removing the mask and finding that his face was pale, but not burned.

"Keira…" Tigran gasped, winching with the pain as his brown eyes glazed over. "Keira…"

"I'm here." Keira whispered, tears running down her face.

"I'm… dying, aren't I?" He asked.

Keira hung her head. "It's very bad." That was all she could say.

"Please… Keira… grant me my last… wish." Tigran gasped.

"Anything." Keira said tearfully.

"Just one… kiss." Tigran said.

"I—I can't." Keira said.

"Please…" Tigran begged. "I loved you, even if you never loved me in return. Please… kiss me as if you were kissing your Jak."

Keira looked up. Was it really her right to deny one of her friends his dying wish? It wasn't like he was asking for sex or anything. But… what if Jak came back and found out? Would he be upset? _Not if he knew why I had done it._ Keira reasoned with herself.

"Okay." She said. She lifted his head slightly, because he was unable to do so on his own. Keira closed her eyes and told herself that it was Jak. His smile… his eyes… She lowered her face to his and kissed him. She knew that she was kissing another man, but she just kept telling herself that it was Jak, and it sort of worked. Sure, his kiss was very weak from imminent death, but it was passionate all the same.

Slowly, the kiss slowed, and then stopped all together. Keira sat up and opened her eyes. She looked down, Tigran was dead.

"No." Keira breathed, more tears running down her face. She may have never had any romantic feelings toward him, she cared for him deeply… he was her friend in this strange world.

"Ms.?" The head medic asked. "We need to get his body off the track."

"Okay." Keira said, getting up off the ground and stepping back.

The men lifted the zoomer, revealing the extent of the damage. His body was burnt to a crisp and there was a large hole where his stomach should've been. There was nothing that could've been done.

"My God!" Keira turned around. It was Erol who had spoken. "First Bease, and now only two months later, Tigran! This team seems to be riddled with bad luck." Erol paused. "That place on my team is still open if you are interested."

"Sorry." Keira replied. "But I won't let Bease Racing fall apart."

"You can't manage, build, and race! No one can, it's impossible!" Erol said.

"Yes, it is." Keira said. "That's why I'm going to find a new racer."

"That could take months." Erol said.

"Then it will take months." Keira said, spinning on her heel and walking away.


	13. The Demon Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, we begin the parts that are in game. Yeah, pretty much all of the chapters before is all filled with stuff that happens before you even gain control of Jak for the first time.

Only one Guard was left on 'Freak Duty.' There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Dark Eco had affected Number Eleven both physically and mentally. It's strength and agility constantly amazed the Guards. On good days it could lift four times it's body weight!

Strangely, the Baron and Erol were not happy. They wanted more than unnatural strength and agility; they wanted a super weapon that could bend Dark Eco to its will, a Dark Eco creature that would be invincible.

The Guard had been on duty for almost twelve hours, and he was getting bored. Suddenly, one of the screens came on and attracted the Guard's attention. It was Commander Erol. "Soldier? How is our weapon doing?" Erol asked.

The Guard turned back to the screen that constantly monitored Jak's cell. The Guard sighed. "He's doing one-arm pull-ups."

"Really?"

"Yes, and he's been doing the same thing for an hour and a half."

"Non-stop?"

"Yessir." The Guard said.

"That's very interesting." Erol mused. "Perhaps we are getting closer. Tell the scientists that I want them to increase the Dark Eco level."

"More, sir?" The Guard asked. He knew that the subject was already subjected to enormous amounts of Dark Eco.

"Yes, more." Erol paused. "In fact, I want the scientist to calculate how much Dark Eco it would take to kill him, and then shave it off just a little bit." With that, Erol hung up.

"Yessir." The Guard said to the empty screen. He picked up the intercom and contacted the head scientist.

* * *

(Containment Cell)

Jak gritted his teeth in exertion as he rounded the three hundreds. He readjusted his single-handed grip on the pipe. He felt himself slipping slightly and he tightened his grip. He could feel his fingernail digging into the palm of his hand, but he ignored the pain. Jak took a deep breath before going for another one.

His arm shook slightly as the exhausted muscles worked to pull himself up again. Quite suddenly, he reached the point of muscle-failure and he couldn't hold on any longer.

Jak lost his grip and fell down to the ground, landing painfully on his backside. Jak growled, cradling his arm. "Fuck!" Jak swore, angry at his own weakness.

Jak glared at his offending hand and discovered that his fingernails had actually cut into his palm. Crimson blood ran down his wrist, while Dark Eco pooled at the wounds, healing them painfully. Jak tried to move his arm, but the muscles were so tired that nothing happened. "Damn!" Jak swore… again. "Gonna feel that one in the morning." Jak's thoughts then turned to the next day. He glanced at the marks on the prison wall. According to them, he had been in prison for almost two years. It was impossible to be sure exactly how much time had past.

"Two hellish years." Jak thought out loud. "What would they say if they saw me now? What would Daxter and Samos think? Will Keira still…" Jak couldn't finish the thought because he knew the answer. "No. No one loves a monster." Jak had once heard someone say that 'Love conquers all.' Jak snorted. It was a lie. How could love overcome this? Jak was no longer the Jak that Keira had liked… maybe even loved. He was a cold, calculating, thoughtless murderer.

Jak gazed up at the pipe that had been his best friend for half a year, then at his other arm… the one that worked. "No." Jak said to himself. "I might need this arm." Jak looked at the pitiful corner where he slept. "Might as well sleep." Jak said. "Tomorrow's going to be a 'new day.'" Jak meant that last comment to be sarcastic, for the past two years had been monotonous. But, tomorrow would be a new day… for everyone, especially Jak.

* * *

The morning began like any other. Jak was given his breakfast (if you cared to call the cold gruel that he was given 'breakfast') and then he spent the rest of the afternoon waiting until two o'clock when the Guards came to drag him to his torture session.

Around two o'clock, Jak heard the familiar sound of Krimzon Guard boots coming down the hall, about a dozen in all. _Right on time._ Jak thought grimly to himself.

The Guards stopped in front of his cell, but didn't come in. They had long since given up on trying to over-power him physically. There had been a glorious week when Jak hadn't gotten any treatments about a month ago because they couldn't get him out of the cell. Unfortunately, that hadn't lasted long, because the scientist invented a new method of control. It involved a weapon that looked a lot like the Shock-Rod Rifles, but instead of shooting out bullets, it shot out a net that would shock the person in it if they moved too much. Excellent for riot control… or controlling raging experiments.

The Captain aimed the Shock-Net Gun at Jak though the bars. Jak tried to jump out of the way, but the net wrapped around him, the net instantly sent hundreds of volts of energy coursing though his body. Jak hit the floor and went still because, wither he liked to admit it or not, those shocks hurt.

The Guards opened the door, the Captain stood above him and laughed. "Not so tough, now, are you… you little freak?" The Guard kicked Jak across the face with his booted foot. His head whip-lashed back to the Guard, his eyes burning with unspeakable rage. "Take him away." The Captain ordered.

Several of the Guards grabbed onto the net. Jak grinned as he shifted, causing the net to shock him again. However, this time the Guards also got shocked. "Fuck!" The Guards swore as they let go of the net. Jak didn't really care about his pain, as long as those bastards felt it too. He paid for this little stunt with a rather nasty punch to the face. The Guards grabbed the net and began to unceremoniously began to drag Jak away like an animal.

After an age, they dragged Jak to the torture room. (It took a while because Jak kept moving at opportune moments.)

Jak was dragged to the chair and strapped down to the table before the net was even removed. Only after they were sure that he wasn't getting away did they cut off the net. Erol and Baron Praxis were standing off to one side. Jak was mildly surprised. Praxis almost never came to the treatments, leaving them to Erol. Something must be happening. Jak listened in on their conversation with his unnatural sense of hearing.

"I don't want your excuses!" Praxis spat at Erol. "I want results!"

"Don't worry, sire." Erol said. "I've had the scientist triple the Dark Eco input. If it isn't today, then he'll never be the Dark Warrior we want."

Jak's eyes widened. _Triple?_ He had never had an increase by that much! This was going to be painful… very painful…

"Triple?" The Baron mused. "Are you sure it won't kill it?"

"Reasonably." Erol said.

Praxis paused, thinking. "Very well. But, this is the last time! It's now or never."

Before Jak could even begin to ponder what that meant for him, the treatment started and all thought were wiped from his mind. The only thing that remained was a deep pain.

Jak was screaming, louder than he had ever screamed before. It felt like the very universe was crying out in pain. Once again, he felt as if his body was being torn into a billion pieces. His blood was on fire, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it, so he just screamed. The torture continued non-stop for several minutes before it finally stopped and Jak slumped in the chair, working hard to remain conscious.

A computer voice sounded from the console. "Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings nominal and unchanged."

"Hmph! Nothing!" The Baron spat. "I was informed that this one might be different!" The Baron yelled, pointing accusingly at Jak who was balancing on the line between conscious and unconscious.

"He is surprisingly resistant to your 'experiments', Baron Praxis." Erol admitted. "I fear the Dark Warrior program has failed…"

"AUGH!" Praxis roared, grabbing Jak roughly by his hair, cruelly bringing him closer to consciousness. "You should at least be _DEAD_ with all the Dark Eco we've pumped into you!" The Baron let Jak go, and his head fell back to the metal chair, eyes closed.

"What now?" Erol asked. "Metal-Head armies are pressing their attacks. Without a new weapon, my men cannot hold them off forever."

"I will _not_ be remembered as the man who lost this city to those vile creatures!" Praxis spat. "Move forward with the plan…" Praxis glanced over at where Jak lay. "And finish off this… thing… tonight." Praxis ordered.

"As you wish." Erol said. He turned on Jak and grabbed him by the collar of his prison outfit. Erol yanked on the collar, pulling Jak's face closer to his. "I'll be back later, freak." Erol spat, roughly pushing Jak's head back down to the cold metal chair. Erol turned around and stalked off.

Jak closed his eyes. This was it. Two years of hell, and now he was going to die. _Samos, Daxter… Keira… I'm sorry. I have failed you. I… wasn't strong enough…_ Jak's thought then moved to Sorus. He had promised Sorus that he'd escape, that he wouldn't die in this place. _I'm sorry. It looks like I'm going to die in here after all._ Jak paused. _At least I won't have to deal with this anymore. The torture… the nightmares… the darkness… all with soon be lost in the eternal embrace of death._ Jak sat silently on the cold metal chair, quietly accepting his fate.

Suddenly, a voice split Jak's peaceful silence. "Ding, ding! Third floor! Body chains, roach food, torture devices!" The voice sounded familiar, but Jak figured it must be his imagination playing tricks on him. "Hey, buddy…" Jak felt a light weight drop on his chest, but he didn't open his eyes. "You see any heroes around here?" A pause. "Whoa! What'd they do to you?" Another pause. "Jak! It's me! Daxter!"

 _Daxter?_ Jak thought weakly as he opened his eyes. But all he saw was an orange blob, clouding his vision. Jak closed his eyes. _Leave me alone to die._ Jak pleaded with his thoughts.

"That's a fine 'hello'!" The creature said. "I've been crawling around in this place, risking my TAIL…" The thing stepped on Jak right where it counts and Jak gasped in pain. It didn't help that he was still sore from the treatments. "LITERALLY… to save you! I've been looking for you for two years!" Jak was now starting to get annoyed by this creature's ramblings! Even before death, he couldn't have peace! "Say something! Just this once!"

Jak's eyes opened again, this time he was blind with anger and rage. "I'm gonna KILL Praxis!" Jak roared.

Suddenly, Jak felt a hand cover his mouth, silencing him. "Shhh!" The creature warned. "Do you want someone to hear? We gotta get you out of those restraints! Just let me…" But Jak wasn't listening anymore, he was beyond rational thought. His breathing slowed and grew more and more ragged until they were low growls. The creature, who actually was Daxter, didn't notice; instead, he kept on rambling. "Figure out how to open the security locks so I…"

Daxter's rant was cut short by a roar from his best friend. "RAHHH!" Jak roared as he ripped himself out of the restraints… the metal restraints. But, as he did so, he changed. His skin paled until his skin was a deathly white and his hair changed into a whitish-gray color. The pupils of his eyes expanded until they ate up the blue and white, leaving only a deep, pitch-black color. This left him with a huge field of view, many times larger than a regular elf could even hope for. For a second, Jak felt as though his head were being split in two, which it was… for two long horns had sprout from his forehead. The last change was the fingernails. His fingernails grew rapidly, a thousand times faster than normal, until they were five-inch long claws, perfect for slicing though flesh and armor alike. He smiled.

"Or, uh… you can do it…" A voice caught Jak's attention. And, at the same time, it didn't. For this creature wasn't Jak anymore. The real Jak was trapped in a corner of his own mind, blind, helpless, and not aware of what was going on. The creature got off the table and growled as Dark Eco poured from his body, forming a sort of Dark Eco shield around his body. "Jak?" Daxter questioned at the murderous look on the creature's face. "Easy now… easy, buddy… It's your old pal, Daxter, remember?" The creature approached Daxter, lazily flexing its claws in anticipation. Daxter was now cornered.

"AUGH!" The creature roared as it prepared to stab the animal with its horrifying claws. Suddenly, a single word reached the real Jak inside the monster and Jak was aware that Daxter was cowering from him for an unknown reason. "Daxter?" Jak asked. Suddenly, a wave of light-headedness washed over Jak and he almost fell over as he became dizzy. The demon faded away, and Jak was back to normal. Jak was suddenly very confused. One second, he had been strapped to the table, waiting for death, and then the next he was standing on the small platform, by the table, looking at Daxter who seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"What the heck was that?" Daxter roared to Jak's confusion. "Remind me not to piss you off! Come on, Tall, Dark, and Gruesome, we're out of here."

Jak was even more confused now. Not just because of what Daxter called him, but because this was the first time, since that day long ago, that he hadn't either been in his cell, or accompanied Guards. "Free?" Jak wondered.

"Yes, 'free'." Daxter said slowly, like he thought that Jak had lost his mind in prison. "That's what it's called when you can do things on your own free-will."

"Daxter?" Things were beginning to sink in now. Daxter actually was there, and he could escape. "Daxter? I've… missed you."

Daxter looked up at Jak. "Yes, I've missed you too, buddy. It seems like I'm still stuck missing your silence, however. You learned to talk, huh?"

"Yes." Jak said.

Daxter's eyes fell down to a small pile of clothes that he had forgotten about in the excitement. "Oh, by the way, I've brought you some new threads. Put 'em on."

Jak looked down at the prison outfit that he had worn for two years; it was torn, dirty, bloody, and smelly. "I could use some new clothes." Jak mused.

"That's the spirit." Daxter said.

So Jak quickly put on the new clothes. There was a slight bit of confusion for some articles… shoes for example. "Dax, what are these?" Jak asked, holding up the boots.

"They're shoes, Jak." Daxter said, rolling his eyes.

"I know they are shoes!" Jak defended himself. "But I've never needed shoes before."

"Poor, naïve, Jak." Daxter said, sadly. "Trust me, you DO NOT want to go wandering around this city with bare feet!" So Jak put the shoes on.

The rest of the clothes were made out of a strange material. In the end, he was wearing a long-sleeve, blue tunic, beige pants, gloves, combat boots, and a red scarf that had come from his prison outfit. It was still in good shape, so he kept it. There were also goggles that were pushed up on his forehead and a metal ring on his chest, supported by Yakkow leather, this included a holster that looked like it was made to carry a gun. However, since Jak didn't have a gun, he left it empty. And he had a sort of pouch thing that hung on his hip. The clothes might've felt strange, but Jak was just happy to be in newish, clean clothes.

"Very sharp." Daxter commented. "Now can we GO? Once we get out into the City, I sort of know my way around, but I'm lost in here."

"Don't worry." Jak said, grinning. "I'll get us out." Jak turned back towards the machine. "For two years, you've kept me captive, Praxis. But now I'm out, and I won't stop until you've paid, I swear it." Jak turned and ran down the narrow bridge. He glanced around for the vent that he had noted months ago.

There, in the same place, and still open, was the vent. Jak grinned and headed for it. There were several boxes stacked under it. "Easy." Jak said as he jumped up the vent.

"Don't jinx us." Daxter warned.

Jak ignored him and came to a round room. He looked to the right and found another vent. Jak headed for it. Unfortunately, he happened to trip an invisible security laser.

Red lights began to flash. "Warning!" The computer voice warned. "Prisoner escape in progress!" This message sounded though the whole prison.

"Damn." Jak swore. Now escaping would be harder than just walking out the front door… not that he expected to walk out the front door anyway. Now every single Krimzon Guard in the prison was alerted to his presence.

"See, what did I tell you about jinxes?" Daxter asked.

Jak continued into the next room, which appeared to be some sort of storage room, filled with huge boxes. Jak's sharp eyes scanned the room and spotted another open vent behind some boxes. Jak stood at the base of one of the larger boxes, which appeared to be the only way up. A younger Jak wouldn't have had a hope of leaping such a great obstacle, and Daxter seemed to be thinking along those lines. "Well, it's been a nice run, but…" Daxter's words were suddenly cut short.

"AUGH!" A shout escaped Jak's lips as he leapt into the air and cleared the ten-foot high boxes in a single bound, landing safely on the top.

Daxter stared at his best friend. "How in the world did you do that?" Daxter demanded.

"I've been in prison for two years, Dax." Jak said guardedly. "I got bored."

"So you've worked out?" Daxter asked. "Damn, how strong have you gotten?" Daxter's question was answered as easily pushed a box away from the vent… a box that must've been twice his weight. Daxter's mouth hung open. "Pretty damn strong, I guess."

Jak grinned slightly. He stepped thought the vent into another large room. There were a bunch of moving platforms in there that could be used to cross the large expanse. He jumped across them. On the last one, the Computer voice spoke. "You are in a restricted area. This sector is on High Alert."

Jak ignored the computer and jumped off the platform to solid ground. There was another large ledge, which Jak used another 'high jump' to reach the top.

"Jak! Hide!" Daxter whispered suddenly. Jak, thinking that it must be something dangerous, threw himself into the shadows. Jak strained his ears and heard the familiar sound of Krimzon Guard boots. Daxter had made him hide for a single KG? Jak rolled his eyes. "Okay, Jak, if we hide here long enough, he'll eventually give up and go away…"

But Jak wasn't listening. The KG rounded the corner and came into view. Jak leapt out of the shadows, grabbed the Krimzon Guard's head and twisted it violently. There was a horrible cracking sound as the Guard's head rotated one hundred and eighty degrees so it was now pointing backwards. Without a sound, the body sank to the ground. The Guard was dead.

As usual, Jak didn't feel a single ounce of remorse. But he suddenly realized the full extent of the situation. Daxter had never seen him kill another elf before. Daxter was staring at Jak, and then turned his open-mouthed gaze to the body. "You… he… you…" Daxter's gaze turned back to Jak. "You… just murdered him!"

What Jak was feeling at that moment wasn't remorse or guilt or any of those types of emotions, what he was feeling was… embarrassment.

Daxter studied Jak's pitiless eyes. "Something terrible has happened to you." Daxter observed.

Jak broke the eye contact, looking down at the body. "Yes… something has happened."

"Will you tell me?" Daxter asked.

Jak gestured around at their surroundings. "Is this really the time or the place?"

"I guess not." Daxter said as Jak continued on his way.

* * *

Jak met several more Guards on his journey to freedom, and all of them met the same, pitiless end. Some were killed so fast, they didn't even know what hit them, and others were killed considerably slower.

After killing dozens of Guards and overcoming several obstacles. Jak found himself in some sort of drainage system. Jak was standing waist deep in water and looking for a way out. However, it was not he, but Daxter who discovered the way.

"Jak, over there!" Daxter pointed and Jak followed his finger. Daxter was pointing to a door in the wall, about ten feet off the ground. There were boxes stacked at its base, so Jak didn't even have to use one of his 'high jumps'. It was child's play.

"Good job, Dax." Jak said, wading though the water towards the boxes. He climbed them and made it up to the door. The door opened as he approached it and Jak was ecstatic to see, not more metal passageways, but sky and dusty buildings. Jak jumped though the door, fell twenty feet, and landed in a crouched position on the street below.

"We're free, Jak! Thanks to me!" Daxter said. "Nice to breathe some fresh air, huh? Don't worry, we'll get that Baron Praxis guy, all right!"

" Damn right, I will." Jak said. "He should've killed me when he had the chance." With that, Jak began to walk down the dusty streets. He went only ten feet before he realized that he didn't have a clue where he was. Jak turned circles as he walked, trying to get a sense of direction. However, he couldn't see the sun, so that was useless.

Suddenly, a sort of six sense told Jak that he was being approached. It didn't sound like a Krimzon Guard, but whatever it was stood out in Jak's mind like a sore thumb. Jak turned around and saw that this interesting figure was an old man in robes, followed closely by a young boy in a white shirt, blue overalls, and a pilot's cap. The boy had a strange looking medallion around his neck. The boy looked no older than five or six. The old man approached Jak.

"Hello, strangers." The old man greeted. "My name is Kor. May I help…"

Jak suddenly grabbed the man by the collar. "You look like a reasonably smart man." Jak growled. "I want information." Jak released the Kor. "Where the hell am I?"

Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder. "Sorry." He apologized to the boy. "He's new to the whole… 'conversation' thing." The boy stared at Daxter curiously. He reached out, like he wanted to pet Daxter, but then he thought better of it. The boy hid behind the Kor.

"Well, my angry young friend…" Kor said, brushing off his robes. "You are a guest of his Majesty, Baron Praxis, the ruler of 'glorious' Haven City." Kor gestured at the 'glory' of the City around them.

"I see…" Jak said sarcastically. "So I was just a guest in the good Baron's prison!"

Kor shook his head, like Jak was stupid. "Inside a cell, or inside the city, walls surround us both. We are all his prisoners."

The familiar sound of Krimzon Guard boots caught Jak's attention and he looked down the street. A full legion of Krimzon Guards were marching down the street towards them. _The Baron can't know of my escape yet._ Jak reasoned. _It's too soon. They must be after something else._

Kor followed Jak's gaze and gasped. "Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'd move on if I were you." Kor gestured to the boy and they started to walk away. They didn't make it far; Krimzon Guards stopped them in their tracks.

The leader, a Captain, stopped. "By order of the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring Underground fugitives. Surrender and die!" The Captain ordered.

Daxter carefully approached the Guard. "Ahh… excuse me, good sir?" The Guard looked down at Daxter. "But don't you mean surrender OR die?"

"Not in this City." Kor said, then he turned to Jak, pleadingly. "Protect us from these Guards, and I'll introduce you to someone who can help you." Jak didn't bother to wonder how Kor knew that he needed help. He faced the Guards, a grim determination on his face.

The Captain noticed the look on his face. "Stand down!" The Captain ordered.

"No." Jak said, frowning. "I just escaped that hell-hole you call a prison, and I'm not quite ready to go back."

The Captain paused. "Number Eleven?" He asked.

Jak growled. "My name is Jak!" He launched himself at the Captain and broke his neck in the same manner of the first Guard he had encountered on his escape.

The Guards realized that Jak was attacking them. "Get him!" Another Guard yelled. Weapons were aimed at Jak and he grinned. One of the Guards fired, and signed his death warrant. The bullet caught Jak in the arm, but he hardly noticed it beyond the fact that he had been shot. The Guards froze. They had never seen someone take a bullet like that without going down. Jak ran at the Guard, leapt into the air, and preformed a spinning-kick, and sent the Guard into the nearest wall. Too bad for the unlucky Guard, there happened to be a sharp, broken pipe sticking out of the wall right where he hit. The pipe pieced his chest, giving him a not-so-quick, painful death.

Another Guard bravely rushed him; Jak could feel the blood lust rising and he wanted to kill, kill, kill. Bu he didn't think much of it, he had reason enough to want all of the Guards dead, two years worth of reasons. Jak spun again and, strangely, seemed to slap the Guard's head. However, Jak watched in amazement as the Guard's helmet and head shredded. Jak looked at his hands and had a split second view of long, black claws growing from his fingernails before the changes began.

"AUGH!" Jak gripped his head as a monster headache consumed him. It almost felt as if his head were being split in two places. Suddenly, Jak's mind was pushed back into a Dark corner of his mind and he now only felt the strange changes from afar, like he was feeling someone else's pain.

On the outside, the changes continued. Horns and claws finished growing even before the skin and hair had changed color. The creature opened his eyes; Jak's blue eyes were swallowed up by the pupils and turned black. The creature grinned at the sight that met him… _prey_. And this time, the other creature wouldn't interfere because his own hatred for these beings ran almost as deep as his own hatred.

The Guards stopped, uncertain of what they were facing. "What is it?" One Guard asked.

"Don't know." Another Guards said. "Get it!" The Guards raised their weapons and the demon grinned.

"Jak? What's happening?" The orange creature on his shoulder asked. The demon dismissed these sounds, he didn't understand them.

The creature roared as it threw itself into the middle of the Krimzon Guards, slashing and biting anything that got in its way. A field of Dark Eco surrounded the demon, protecting it from most physical attacks, but not all, and its healing ability took care of the bullet wounds. After a few seconds of just melee fighting, the Demon began to use the Dark Eco in its veins as a weapon, shooting bursts at Guards. Most of the men died instantly. Some, who must've had a slightly higher tolerance for Eco, died a slower death of Eco Poisoning. None of the Guards seemed to be able to survive the Dark Eco assaults.

The Guards that remained, about five in all, realized that there was no hope of winning against such a powerful creature. "Retreat!" One of the Guards ordered. The Guards turned and began to run away like cowards. The Demon gave chase and brought down four more. However, one single Guard managed to escape by jumping in a zoomer and taking off.

The Demon watched as the zoomer flew away at full speed. It roared a threat after it in its own animalistic language.

Suddenly, a wave of light-headedness washed over the Demon. The skin turned back to normal, same with the hair. The horns shrank back into his skull, and the claws turned back into regular fingernails. The black pupils shrank until, first the white, and then the blue reappeared. Then, last but not least, Jak's mind resurfaced from the dark place as the Demon took over the place Jak had just occupied.

Jak found that he was suddenly aware of what was going on. Jak stared at his bloody hands and then at the gory scene around him. He half expected to see the strange claws again.

Daxter leapt down to the bloodstained ground, staring up at Jak admirably. "Wow! That was cool! Do it again!"

Jak got more than slightly angry at Daxter's laid-back attitude when something was obviously very wrong. "Something's happening to me…" Jak gasped angrily, his hands clinching into fists. "Something he did… I… can't control it…"

Kor appeared out of nowhere. "Most impressive and… most interesting…"

Jak seemed to be glaring into space, at something no one else could see. "Uh… you okay, Jak?" Daxter asked. Jak didn't answer.

"What you just did was very brave." Kor complimented, and then he pointed at the child behind him. Jak noticed that the child had a look of pure terror in his eyes as he looked back at him. "This child is important."

"This kid?" Daxter asked, pointing at the boy, who hid his face behind his hands, like Daxter was going to hurt him. "He looks kind of scruffy."

"Thank you for your help." Kor said. "But I must get this boy to safety."

"Hey! What about us?" Daxter demanded, referring to Kor's earlier promise of help.

"Oh, yes." Kor turned to Jak. "There is an Underground group here in Haven City that wages a constant war against Baron Praxis. Anyone with half a brain could tell that you hate the Baron…" _More than you know…_ Jak thought. "So you might be interested in joining. It's leader, the Shadow, could use fighters like you."

"How can I find this Underground group?" Jak asked.

"By yourself… it could take years. However, I know where their local base is. It's…" Kor paused, looking around for potential eavesdroppers. He motioned for Jak to lean closer, which he did. "It's right here in the Slums." He whispered into Jak's ear so that no one else would hear. "There's a dead end alley near the City wall. Ask for Torn, he can help you. Good luck." Kor said, before walking away.

"So…" Daxter began. "How are we going to get to this 'Torn' guy? I think I know the alley he's talking about, but it's quite a ways from here."

Jak looked up. "We're taking a zoomer."

"What?" Daxter had time to ask before Jak launched himself into the air. He grabbed onto a passing zoomer.

"What the…" The owner gasped as Jak pulled himself up onto the one-seater zoomer. Jak grabbed the surprised owner, tossed him out of the zoomer, and settled on the seat.

"Jak, these zoomers are not like the ones we knew." Daxter pointed out.

"I know." Jak said. "But as long as I ignore everything but the acceleration and the brakes, I'll be all right."

Daxter gulped. "We're dead." He squeaked as they took off at full speed.

* * *

"Fuck! I'm dead!" Erol cursed to himself as he walked into the Palace Throne Room. "There's no way in hell he'll let me live…"

Baron Praxis sat on the Throne, staring at a hologram of a huge maw, a head that belonged to the Metal-Head Leader. "It's a deal then, Baron." The great Metal-Head said. "But, remember, if your shipments are short by even ONE Unit… you'll live long enough to regret it." With that last threat, the hologram disappeared.

The Baron sighed. "How many more problems must I deal with?" He wondered out loud.

 _Yes, I am dead._ Erol thought. _Okay, just get up your nerve and say it!_

"Ahh, Erol." Praxis said. "So, is Number Eleven dead?"

"Ahh… define 'dead'." Erol said, losing his nerve.

Praxis' eyes narrowed. "Dead. When someone's heart has stopped beating and they've stopped breathing… or causing trouble. Is Number Eleven dead or not?"

"Dead men don't tend to escape from prison and take out a whole legion of Krimzon Guards." Erol said.

"What?" Praxis demanded.

"Well, as far as we can tell, he ripped out of his restraints… an impossible feat, carved a path of destruction though the prison, escaped, and then butchered a whole legion of Krimzon Guards."

"How?" Praxis demanded. "It's impossible to escape from our fortress, and it's even more impossible for a single man to take on a full legion of Krimzon Guards!"

"Uh… we've had reports of what happened…" Erol took out his Comm. "Bring him in." He ordered. Several Guards escorted a single Krimzon Guard into the Throne Room. The man looked scared out of his pants. "This is the only man who made it back from the initial attack by Number Eleven…"

"JAK!" The man screamed, eyes popping out of their sockets. "HIS NAME IS JAK!" The man fell to his knees, in tears.

"As you can see, he's lost his mind." Erol said. "But the reference to 'Jak' is correct. That was the real name of Number Eleven."

"That doesn't explain how he took out a whole legion of Krimzon Guards by himself." Praxis pointed out.

"There was a study of the scene. It's quite a bloody battlefield, sign that a massacre took place. But a closer examination showed that a large amount of this was left behind." Erol held up a jar of a purplish-black substance that was, beyond a doubt, Dark Eco. "Dark Eco, sir." Erol paused. "What if our experiments did work, just not in the way we intended them?"

"If that is true… then there is a very valuable and dangerous weapon lose in Haven City." Praxis said. "I don't want him LOSE! I want him either dead or working for me! Congratulations, Number Eleven, you have just become Haven's Most Wanted." Praxis picked up the intercom that fed into the propaganda boards that were spread around the City. "Brave citizens. There is a monster among you! Masquerading as a man, he is dangerous and must be destroyed! I offer a reward of Eco for his capture… or if you have a loved one in prison, I will exchange them for this renegade. I promise…" The Baron hung up the intercom and laughed.


	14. I Show Not Your Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ripping off the chapter title from Harry Potter. I'm so ashamed.

"You're different, Jak." Daxter said as they zoomed thought the crowded streets of the slums.

"No shit." Jak said sourly.

"No, not that." Daxter said. "You look different. Older… more mature."

Jak paused, nearly running into a wall, but he quickly gained control of the zoomer before he totaled it. "It's funny…" Jak said. "But I haven't given my appearance a second thought. I mean… I haven't even seen a mirror ever since we went though the Ring."

"Really? Two years without a mirror?" Daxter paused. "Nope, I can't imagine it. You don't even know what you look like anymore!"

"Have I changed that much?" Jak asked.

"Stop here." Daxter instructed. Jak pulled the zoomer to a stop in front of some type of shop.

"What's here?" Jak asked.

"A store that sells all sorts of crap… including mirrors." Daxter said. "There's no way I'm going to let you live in ignorance!"

Jak hopped off the zoomer and walked into the store. The storekeeper was busy at the counter, but he looked up at Jak. However, because the news that Jak was a dangerous criminal had not spread, the keeper greeted him quite warmly.

"Good afternoon, sir. If you find anything you like, please let me know." The shopkeeper said.

Jak blinked, slightly confused by the politeness. It had been a long time since someone actually treated him like a person and not a potential killing machine that had no thoughts or no feelings. "Uh… I will." Jak said, uncertain of how to respond. Younger Jak would've known how to respond to the situation perfectly, but the new Jak had forgotten.

Daxter had already gone to the back and was lifting up a small hand-held mirror, Jak walked over towards him, casually looking at the other trinkets in the shop. "Hey, Jak!" Daxter said. Jak turned to face him and found that Daxter was holding the mirror about four inches from his face. Jak's eyes widened in horror as he looked at his reflection.

"Oh shit!" Jak looked away, breathing hard.

"Geez, Jak." I know you look different, but…" Daxter began.

"Is that what I really look like?" Jak asked quietly, looking at the shopkeeper. _Why isn't he freaking out? Why isn't he running away? Why did he treat me so nicely?_ _Why don't people stare?_

"Jak…" Daxter began uncertainly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Jak grabbed the mirror again, but this time, he didn't let himself lose it. He studied his reflection. He saw pale skin and whitish-gray hair. He saw deep, pitch black eyes. He saw two horns growing out of his forehead. Jak lifted his hand so that he could see it in the mirror. Jak saw that he had a normal looking hand, but the hand in the mirror was pale and tipped with long black claws… sort of like the ones he saw with the KG's. It was then that Jak realized that the image was only in the mirror. "Dax… what am I looking at?" He asked.

"What do you mean, 'What am I looking at?' You are looking at your reflec…" Daxter couldn't say anymore as he looked in the mirror and saw what Jak was seeing, the demon. "Holy…" Daxter gasped.

"What is it?" Jak asked quietly, as to not attract the store-owner.

"It's… you… I think." Daxter said, staring at the monster in the mirror. "That's what you look like when you get all pissed and stuff. Maybe you can only see him in your reflection! Cool!"

"Not cool!" Jak retorted. "I don't even know what you are talking about! When I get angry… I pass out… or something…"

"No, you get angry, then you turn into him." Daxter said, pointing at the reflection.

"This doesn't make any sense…" Jak said. He thought about this problem for a second, and then it clicked. It was so obvious. "Dark Eco!"

"Dark Eco?" Daxter echoed. "What does Dark Eco have to do with this?"

"Everything." Jak said. "Long, painful story short: in prison I was… tortured… every day with Dark Eco."

"Let me guess… this 'Praxis' guy is responsible?" Daxter asked.

"Praxis gave the order, another man named Erol carried them out." Jak paused. "Erol will have to die too. Anyway, fifteen of us went into the Dark Warrior program… I am the only survivor."

"Holy Yakkow." Daxter said. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse… Thousands never made in past the first Eco test. You can't even imagine… you once felt Dark Eco… for a few seconds." Daxter nodded his head, understanding. "Yours only lasted a few seconds… mine went on every day… for several hellish minutes. Minutes that nearly killed me every single time…" But Jak couldn't talk anymore just yet about his prison experience; the pain was still too fresh in his mind. Jak took one last look at the demon. Funny, but it kind of reminded him of Gol and Maia. Ironic, that he should become the very thing that he had once fought against. Jak set down the mirror and walked out of the shop with a new weight on his already burdened heart. The zoomer was still there. Jak hopped on it and started back on his way to the Underground Hideout.

* * *

"There! That's the Dead End Alley." Daxter said, pointing towards a small alley. Jak drove into the alley, jumping off the still moving vehicle, landing expertly on the ground. Jak looked around and immediately spotted two people in the alleyway. One was a blonde she-elf, and the other a brown-hair, dread-locked male elf.

The blonde she-elf approached Jak. He would've assumed that she was a dumb blonde if it weren't for the look of grim determination on her face. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"We're looking for a guy named Torn." Jak responded. "Kor sent us." Jak looked over at the dread-locked male, who had gotten up in Jak's face. "Are you Torn?" Jak asked, glaring right back at him.

The man didn't answer for several seconds, and then Daxter took matters into his own hands. "Maybe this guy's a mute, like… you used to be."

And then the man spoke, debunking the 'mute' theory. "Yes, I am Torn. Kor's called me and told me you wanted the join the fight for the City." Torn circled Jak like a vulture, but Jak turned to face him. There was no way he was going to expose his back to a complete stranger. People that careless usually ended up with a knife sticking out of their back. "You know… picking the wrong side could be… unhealthy."

"There is no way in hell I'm going to join the Baron's forces." Jak answered. "Besides, I've got my own score to settle with the Baron."

"Is that so?" Torn asked. "Well, what do you want?"

"We want to see the Shadow." Jak answered.

Torn laughed. "Not likely. If you want to join something, then why don't you and your 'pet' go join the circus." Torn pulled out a wicked looking dagger and felt the edge with his thumb. "Unless you've got the fur for a really tough task." Torn paused, trying to think of a good, tough mission. Dead Town came to mind; he had sent many hopefuls out there over the years. Some died, some lived, and some even came back crying for their mommies. The superstitious crowd believed that Dead Town was haunted by the victims of the Dead Town Massacre years ago. However, ghosts or no ghosts, Dead Town was a dangerous place. The Flag… no one had gotten the flag yet. "Go to Dead Town and steal the Baron's banner from the top of the Ruined Tower and bring it back to me. Then… maybe we'll talk." Torn flipped the dagger into the air and deftly caught it.

Jak glared at Torn. "Fine." He said. "I would've preferred to bring you Praxis' head on a platter, but a lousy flag will do for a start." With that, Jak walked away, Daxter in tow.

The blonde walked up to Torn. "Did you hear that? He actually thinks that he could get the Baron's head!"

"I heard, Tess." Torn said. "His cockiness is unbelievable. There is no way that… that boy could hope to defeat the Baron in single combat! Praxis is a warlord, and an excellent fighter… I think I would know." Torn said.

"You are right about that. He's either very brave or insane." Tess said.

"I vote insane." Torn said. "Tess… I'm going to Dead Town. I want to see this guy in action." Torn sheathed his dagger and left to follow Jak.

* * *

With Daxter's directions, Jak made it to the entrance of Dead Town with little trouble. "So, what do you know about this 'Dead Town'?" Jak asked. As they approached the locked doors.

"Uh… not much except that it is an old, run-down section of the City, very dangerous. It's also said to be haunted." Daxter said.

Jak laughed, despite himself. "Does that 'Torn' take me for some superstitious idiot? A few ghosts aren't going to scare me."

The blast doors opened, revealing another room with another set of blast doors. Jak waited while the locks opened. Finally, the doors opened and Jak stepped into the infamous Dead Town.

Jak could tell instantly that these were the ruins of a once great part of the City. It easily could've been more beautiful than Haven City, or the part he had seen, anyway. But now the foundations were crumbling, and the buildings looked like they could fall over at any moment.

He walked out into Dead Town. A small plank was leaning up against the wall, suddenly it fell over. Jak jumped at the noise and sank into combat position. Then he realized what had made the noise, Jak straightened up, feeling stupid.

"It's just a plank, Jak." Daxter said.

Jak paused, straining his sense of hearing. "Yes." Jak said. "But there's something else here."

Daxter looked around. "I see nothing." He said.

"No, listen." Jak ordered.

Daxter shut up and perked his ears, listening hard. "Jak, I don't hear anything."

"Exactly." Jak said. He suddenly stiffened and Daxter knew that something was afoot. Without warning, Jak spun around and grabbed a frog-like creature right out of the air. Apparently, it had been trying to sneak up on him. It had just leapt at him the second that Jak spun around.

"Oh my God!" Daxter exclaimed, staring at the small creature that Jak was holding.

The small creature hissed in protest at its capture. It tried vainly to get out of Jak's death-grip, but it was too late. However, the creature managed to get in one good scratch… this was his death.

As usual, Dark Eco rushed to seal the wound. A small drop of the evil substance massed on the wound and fell onto the creature. It died instantly.

Immediately after its death, the creature began to ooze Dark Eco out of its pores. Dark Eco, as most people know, is the energy that is left over from the act of death, so it was always present when someone died.

"Dark Eco! Drop it!" Daxter ordered, however, Jak ignored him and held on. The Dark Eco moved from the creature to Jak as if he were some kind of magnet for the dark ooze. Jak flinched slightly as the poison entered his bloodstream, though it wasn't nearly as bad as the treatments, it burned.

It was only after all the Dark Eco was absorbed did Jak drop the dead creature. "Let's go." Jak said, beginning the journey to the Ruined Tower in the distance.

* * *

Jak and Daxter made it to the Ruined Tower. Several other creatures, none of them worth mentioning, attacked them. They tried to attack, and Jak killed them. It was as simple as that.

Jak stood next to a bridge that led to the way up the Ruined Tower. Jak glanced at the bridge, it looked stable enough. Jak began to walk across the bridge.

However, quite suddenly, someone yelled, "Jump!" Jak didn't question the order; instead he threw himself towards the Tower.

"What the…" Daxter cried out as Jak leapt towards the Tower suddenly. Jak hit the ground next to the Tower and rolled to a stop in the crouched position.

Jak watched in amazement as the bridge collapsed and fell into the water below. If he had stood on that bridge for just one more second, he would've fallen into the murky, highly toxic 'water.'

Jak turned to Daxter. "Thanks for the warning, Dax." Jak said, assuming that it was Daxter who told him to jump.

"What warning?" Daxter asked, confused.

"What do you mean 'what warning?'" Jak asked. "You told me to jump just before the bridge collapsed."

"Are you feeling alright?" Daxter asked. "I didn't tell you to do anything. I didn't even hear anything."

Jak looked down at the empty space where the bridge used to be. "Maybe this place is haunted."

"Well, in that case, I vote we get this stupid flag so we can get the hell out of here." Daxter said.

* * *

After climbing the stairs up the Ruined Tower, some of which crumbled the moment Jak set foot on them, they made it to the top.

Jak walked up the last stairs and the Baron's flag came into view. The banner waved in the wind. Strangely, the clouds above parted and a single ray of sunshine shone down, illuminating the flag.

"This place is giving me the creeps." Daxter said.

"Let's just get the thing." Jak said, approaching the flag. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder to watch. Jak grabbed onto the pole and tugged. The banner broke free of the stone. Jak slammed the pole back into the ground, breaking out a victory pose just for the heck of it.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling noise. Jak looked down, the platform was falling out from beneath them. Even Jak didn't have the time to react, so he and Daxter fell down with the rubble. Jak fell; flag in hand, while Daxter just screamed his head off. Thankfully, Jak's fall was stopped just before he hit the water by a cloth awning. Jak hit it and was flung back up into the air. Daxter followed close behind, still screaming like a banshee.

Jak then landed on a rope, his enhanced sense of balance adjusted to the challenge instantly, using the flag to help balance also was extremely helpful. He was sliding down the rope, no problem. However, Daxter wasn't so lucky. He hit the rope… crotch first. After a second of terrifying pain, he was catapulted into the air again.

Jak continued to slide down the rope. A figure was waiting for him at the end, and he realized that it was Torn. Jak hopped off the rope and landed in front of Torn, planting the pole of the flag in the ground beside him, Daxter landed on the ground a short while later, groaning in pain.

A large rumbling like a growl caught the men's attention. They turned around to discover that the entire Ruined Tower was coming down. Torn watched, wide-eyed, as the Tower fell into the water below. Torn was beyond amazed, it was universally agreed that the Tower was the most stable building in Dead Town and it would be the last standing. The only other slightly stable building in Dead Town was the Sacred Site, which was older than Haven City, left over from a small village long ago. People believed that the Tower would stand for years. And now he had witnessed a single man bring it down in a matter of minutes!

Torn looked at Jak. "Yeah, I guess you guys are in." He said.

"Good." Jak said, handing over the flag, since it was no use to him. "I have only one conditions."

"A condition?" Torn asked, getting more amazed by the second. No one ever had the nerve to try and lay down conditions.

"Yes. No mirrors… ever." Jak said.

"Mirrors? Why?" Torn just had to ask.

"Oh, mirrors." Daxter said. "He has mirror issues that are only out-weighed by his anger issues." Jak glared at Daxter, as though to prove the point. "Don't ever piss him off, or you might find claws… OW!" Jak had angrily stood on Daxter's paw. As can be imagined, this hurt an awful lot. Torn just looked confused by this whole situation.

Torn shook it off. He handed Jak a security pass. "Here, this will get you into the hideout. It's behind the door with the Baron symbol being cracked by a hammer on it, in the Dead End Alley." Torn turned to walk away.

"No mirrors!" Jak called after him.

"No mirrors." Torn confirmed as he walked away without a second glance at the strange teenager.

"What's with the 'No Mirrors' rule?" Daxter asked, slightly confused.

"I don't think that it's a good idea to parade the fact that there is something inside me." Jak said, before growling. "No matter how much I hate it, we might need the Underground." Daxter climbed up to his usual spot on Jak's shoulder guard.

"Let's go back to the City." Daxter said. "And can you please try not to knock down any more buildings?"

Jak eyed the rotting foundations and the crumbling buildings. "No promises there." He said. "Some of these buildings will fall over if someone just LOOKS at them hard enough." With this comment, Jak began to take the path back to the Gates to Haven City.


	15. The Underground Hideout

Jak didn't have to steal a zoomer from a passing townie this time, as there was an abandoned zoomer parked near-by. He continued to zoom down the street when something caught his eye.

A Krimzon Guard was tacking posters to the walls. The Guard in question admired his handiwork briefly, and then he walked away to finish his job. Jak, curious as to what the Guard was pinning up, hopped off the zoomer and ripped the poster off the wall.

It was a wanted poster. It took Jak several seconds to realize that he was the wanted man. There was a mug shot under the heading, but this happened to be the first time that Jak saw what his face really looked like since he had changed.

He couldn't help staring at the picture. Daxter was right, he HAD changed. The green/blonde hair that had stuck up two years ago had swept back. And he found he now had a small green goatee on his chin. Jak's hand instinctively went to his chin. Yes, the goatee was there. Also, the Jak in the picture no longer had the cherubic-like face that had made him popular for cheek-pinching and 'Oh, he's so cute's back in Sandover. His face had shrunken due to the torture and lack of good nutrition. Jak looked into his picture self's eyes and, quite frankly, his own eyes gave him the creeps. Those eyes were the eyes of a man without hope, which he had become. Even though the picture, Jak could feel the darkness radiating from the man… him.

"I have changed." Jak said.

"Damn right." Daxter said. "I didn't even recognize you at first."

Jak scanned the rest of the poster. It read:

_'Jak: Wanted Dead or Alive_

_Crimes: Murder (Fifty-Six Counts) and Prison Break_

_Reward: 50,000 Eco Units or an Exchange of a Loved One'_

"Wow!" Said Daxter. "That's a lot of Eco on your head!"

_'Description: Green/blonde hair, Blue Tunic, ?Nineteen Yrs. Old?'_

_Warning: Under NO circumstances is this man to be approached as he is considered an active threat to Haven and extremely dangerous. No citizen is to attempt apprehension themselves, call the nearest Krimzon Guard if you see this man.'_

"Damn!" Jak swore silently to himself. Now every single Guard in the City will be trying to bring him down. It was now a lottery, and he was the winning ticket. EVERYONE will be after him! But what did it mean by an 'exchange of a loved one?' Did that mean what he thought that meant?

At that moment, Jak casually looked around just in time to see a Slummer stop to study one of the other posters. The man looked away and his eyes roved over Jak for just a split second. Suddenly, his head whip-lashed back as he stared at Jak. For a second, the two just stared at each other, but Jak felt he knew what was coming next. He wasn't disappointed either.

"Guards! Guards! It's HIM! The wanted man!" The Slummer yelled, pointing in his direction. Every Guard in the immediate area turned and looked straight at him.

One of them must've called an alert because alarms began going off all over the city. The sound of a hundred sirens was so loud it almost deafened Jak. But he regained himself. "Dammit!" Jak spat as he jumped back onto his zoomer. The Guards on foot immediately fell behind, but the ones in zoomers were able to keep up, shooting at the fleeing zoomer all the time.

"Faster! Faster!" Daxter screamed, clutching poor Jak around the head in fright. A bullet from the pursuing vehicles passed so close to Daxter that some of his precious fur was burnt off. "AUGH!" Daxter screamed, looking at his burnt fur. "FASTER!"

"Fine by me!" Jak grinned wickedly as he pushed the throttle fully open until the zoomer was going at top speed though the crowded city streets. Soon, even the Krimzon Guard vehicles were left far behind. The only things to be heard were the continued blaring of the alarms and Daxter screaming in the distance.

"JAAAAK!"

* * *

Jak flew full-speed back into the Dead-End Alley. Even though the Guards had long since stopped chasing him, he enjoyed the way the wind blew in his face. It almost made him feel fully alive again, if only for a short couple of minutes.

"Wall! WALL!" Daxter yelled in warning as Jak sped towards the wall without showing any sign of slowing down. At the last second, Jak leapt off the zoomer and landed safely on the ground. The zoomer, however, kept going and hit the wall at full speed. It exploded on impact, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Jak was hit by a few small pieces, but he hardly felt that at all. In fact, he wasn't even fully aware that any had hit him. Daxter, however, wasn't so lucky. "Damn! Damn you, Jak!" Daxter swore.

Jak looked around and saw that the diminutive rat had a small piece of metal sticking out of his arm. Jak wouldn't have even called it a splinter, but to a creature Daxter's size…

"Come on, Dax." Jak said in an almost soothing voice. Jak motioned for Daxter to give him his arm, which he did, grudgingly. Jak swiftly pulled out the offending piece of metal and tossed it aside, the small hole that was left began to bleed.

"Ow!" Daxter cried, staring at the small hole in his arm. "Great, now I'm going to bleed to death! And it's all your fault! You and your insane driving!"

"Calm down, you'll be fine." Jak reassured his friend. "I'll fix it up inside, they've got to have a first-aid kit somewhere." Jak reasoned as he headed toward the door that lead to the Underground, and grumbling Ottsel on his shoulder.

Unfortunately, the minor explosion that the zoomer caused didn't go unnoticed. As soon as the first door opened, Jak found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

He reacted instantly. He ripped the gun out of his attacker's hands with one hand, and the other shot out and grabbed the man by the throat. The entire process took about half a second. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jak demanded angrily.

The man gagged, as though trying to say something though Jak's choke hold. "Can't… breathe…" He finally managed to gasp.

Jak growled and let the man go. He fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jak squatted down to his level. "What were you doing?" He repeated his question in a tone that was softer, but still as angry.

The man finally seemed to get enough breath to answer Jak's question. "Thought… explosion… Krimzon Guard attack…"

Suddenly, the second door opened and Torn stormed into the small staircase. "Just what the hell is going on here?" He demanded, seeing Jak glaring at the man on the ground, he looked ready to rip his head off.

The man who attacked Jak got up, watching Jak nervously. "Torn…" He saluted weakly, still not fully recovered from Jak's choke hold. "I went to investigate the explosion… I thought it was a Krimzon Guard raid. But this guy…" He pointed at Jak. "Disarmed me and had me in a choke hold in less than a second!"

"Really? Within a second?" Torn asked, staring at Jak. "Come inside… er…" Torn suddenly realized that he didn't know this guy's name.

Jak realized this problem. "Jak." He said simply.

"Jak?" Torn repeated, amazed. 'Jak' wasn't a very common name in Haven City. People tended not to use it because it had special meaning to those who still followed the Precursor's teachings. Torn wasn't much into religious stuff, but he knew it was supposedly the name of a great hero who lived before Mar or Haven City. "Well… come in." Torn said. Jak walked though the second door after Torn.

"About your guy…" Jak said. A younger, more innocent Jak would've apologized for attacking someone who didn't really mean him any harm. But not the older Jak. "I had my reasons." He said simply.

Torn knew that Jak wasn't exactly apologizing for what he did, but he pretended he did anyway. "Don't be sorry." Jak frowned. "I'm impressed. That man you so easily disarmed is considered one of our top fighters."

Daxter blinked, still holding the wound on his arm. "That guy was one of your best?" Daxter asked, amazed. "How in the world are you fighting the Baron when that guy is one of your best?"

"I guess I can't expect anything else from a guy named 'Jak.'" Torn said. Jak just looked confused. "Okay…" He lead Jak though what appeared to be the Briefing Room. However, he walked right across the room towards a wall that had maps and posters of the Baron and Erol with rather rude captions. Jak couldn't help but chuckle at a few of these. Torn pressed an ordinary section of wall with his hand and the wall suddenly opened up to reveal a much larger room. "Welcome to the Underground Headquarters."

Jak couldn't help but be amazed at the size of the rebel hideout. From the outside, it didn't look like much at all. The main room appeared to be a large hanger-like area. Several men and women ran all over the place, planning the next raid or assault on the Baron's forces. "How many people are here?" Jak asked.

"The Headquarters can hold about a hundred rebels at a time." Torn said. "We also have three hundred more scattered around the City in various safe houses."

"Four-hundred fighters?" Daxter asked. "Why don't you guys all-out attack the Baron?" Jak noticed that Daxter was still holding his arm with his paw. Blood was starting to seep though his fingers.

"Your friend's hurt." Torn said, pointing out the obvious and ignoring Daxter's question. He turned and grabbed something off a near-by table. "Here's a first-aid kit." Torn said, tossing the small kit to Jak.

Jak hadn't used any sort of first-aid kit in two years. The main reasons being that he was in prison and wasn't allowed the luxury of having his wounds treated in any way and also because of his enhanced healing factor healed most wounds, the rest went away with time. But Jak remembered enough to help Daxter fix up his arm.

Once Jak was done with Daxter's arm, Torn resumed the tour. "The hallway on the right leads to the main quarters. The hallway on the left leads to my office and the private quarters. But usually, only Kor and the kid stay in those…"

"Kor's part of the Underground?" Jak asked.

"Oh yes, his job is to look out for the boy." Torn said.

Jak suddenly remembered something the Kor had said. "Kor said that the child was important. Why? He's just a little kid, right?"

"Yes, he's a kid." Torn said. "But the Shadow believes that he is the lost heir to the Throne of Haven City."

"A little spoiled Prince, huh?" Jak spat. "Living the high life?"

"Actually, no." Torn said, shaking his head. "Both of his parents are missing… presumed dead. The Kid might know where his parents are, if they are alive, but he doesn't talk." Torn sighed. "It's possibly going to be our job to take care of him until this war is over or until he is old enough to claim the Throne for himself."

"You won't have to wait for the kid to grow up… Praxis will be dead long before that happens." Jak said.

Torn rolled his eyes. He found Jak exceedingly arrogant. "Anyway… the bathrooms and showers are to the right in the quarters…"

Torn finally REALLY caught Jak's attention. Jak looked up. "Showers?"

"Showers." Torn confirmed, slightly confused.

Jak doubted that he had heard anything better in two years. It had been two years since his last shower… ever since Sandover. Being clean was another luxury that Jak had missed out on in prison. Jak didn't even want to think about how he must smell. Here he was, standing in clothes that weren't too small, ripped, or covered in blood, and he had the promise of soon being clean. Jak might've felt happy, but the scowl on his face hid the fact. "I'll take a shower." Jak said, mainly to himself.

"And…" Torn continued. "I have had all the mirrors removed." Torn said, as per Jak's earlier request.

"Good!" Jak said, walking away.

Daxter looked up at Torn. "So… what room are we staying in?" Torn glared down at the little rat. This was the beginning of a beautiful… _hateship_.

* * *

Jak stepped into the white shower room with noting but a towel around his waist. Jak gazed around at the slightly damp white porcelain and the shower heads set at intervals in the wall, and sighed. _Some people take things like showers for granted._ Jak thought. _Stupid bastards._

Jak removed the towel and placed it on a hook sticking out of the wall. Jak walked across the damp tile to a shower head. He considered the knobs for a second before turning the 'Hot' knob all the way on.

The scalding water probably would've melted a lesser man, but Jak didn't really give a damn. He was in Heaven. He sighed as the near-boiling water ran over him. "Thank whatever Precursor invented hot water." Jak breathed.

As it turned out, the boiling water was quite necessary. Two years of dirt, grime, and all sorts of other stuff that Jak didn't want to think about was boiled from his body. But, while dirt can be washed away, there were some stains that no amount of boiling water could melt away.

Jak sighed and shook his head sadly as he came to realize that the cleansing was went only skin-deep. His soul was still left dirty and hollow. Jak stood there for almost a minute, just letting the burning water run down his face. It was then that Jak finally came to realize that the water was burning him.

Jak reluctantly turned on the 'Cold' knob, lowering the waters temperature as he continued to wash off…

* * *

Jak walked out of the showers fifteen minutes later. He might've not felt very good on the inside, but at least he didn't smell like prison anymore.

He was surprised to find Daxter waiting for him in the hallway. "Man, I thought you had drowned! What took you so long?"

"I had a lot of washing to do." Jak explained. "Showers are a luxury the Baron doesn't allow his prisoners."

"Wait a minute…" Daxter said, waving his hands in the air to stop Jak. "Are you telling me that was your first shower… in two years?" Jak nodded. "Just how bad IS prison?"

"I'll tell you when we aren't standing in the middle of a hallway." Jak said, looking up and down the hallway to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.

Daxter was fully prepared to argue his case until he saw the look on his friend's face. "Fine. I'll show you where our room is." He said, leading the way down the hall. Jak kept up easily as he was a lot taller than his diminutive friend.

Daxter eventually lead his friend to a room marked 'Q42' and Jak pushed open the door. Inside the small room was a military cot in the corner with a crude nightstand next to it. A small Eco-powered lamp cast a small amount of light around the room. There was a weapon rack, empty, in the corner. "Well… it's not much." Jak said, sitting on the cot. "But it's a hell of a lot better than prison."

Daxter shut the door. "So… just how bad IS prison?" Daxter repeated his earlier question.

Jak took a deep breath and began to tell his story. All the way from the normal first three months to the rest of the two years spent in the Baron's Dark Warrior Program. Jak didn't lie about anything, he did, however, leave out MANY select details. For example: exactly what the man who became Jak's first kill was doing to him before he met his end. The way Jak made it sound, he had killed him just because he was there. Jak didn't want anyone to know what had almost happened to him that fateful day. Daxter would either never let it live down or pity him. Jak didn't want any of that.

Jak made one mistake. He described Sorus and his fate. He told Daxter exactly what had happened. He was, in short, horrified.

"You KILLED your own friend in a fit of RAGE!" Daxter demanded.

Jak realized his mistake, too late. "In those days I lost my mind! I was no better than an animal." Jak vaguely remembered what had caused that fight that had lead to Sorus having most of his insides ripped out. "He invaded my territory."

"So, how am I suppose to know that you won't go all crazy on me too?" Daxter demanded, his faith in his friend clearly shaken.

"You said I tried to kill you in prison. I had enough control then, maybe I can control myself enough to not kill you." Jak said, but he knew he was grasping at straws.

Daxter knew that Jak wasn't so sure himself, and Daxter reminded him. "But you lose control!" He practically yelled. "You say that you don't remember what happened to those Krimzon Guards, but I do. That… thing, whatever it is… can fight and it doesn't show any mercy. It will kill anything that gets in its way… or should I say 'in YOUR way."

"I'm tired." Jak said, desperate to end the conversation. Jak kicked off his boots and lay down on the cot, which felt infinitely more comfortable than cement prison cell floors.

For the second time that night, Daxter seemed like he was going to press the subject, and for the second time that night, he gave up. "Fine." He said, curling up like a large cat at the foot of the cot. Jak, however, was deep in thought.

 _What if I really am a danger to my friends?_ He wondered. _Will I really lose control and kill them someday… assuming that I find them._ He had a sudden vision of himself standing in the middle of a pool of crimson blood, himself covered with the blood of countless people. He glanced over the bodies; most were people he didn't know at all. However, three bodies caught his attention, the mutilated bodies of Daxter, Samos, and Keira. Jak pushed the image out of his head. He wouldn't be able to live with that… with the guilt. Daxter… his best friend, Samos… who was like a father to him, Keira… Jak paused. Every time he thought of Keira, he grew confused. Just what did Keira mean to him? Sure, she was one of his oldest friends. She was always around as far back as he could remember… even before Daxter. Growing up, Jak always considered her his little sister, but… what if…

Jak stopped mid-thought. _Oh no, don't even GO there! Whatever we used to have is gone now!_

"It doesn't matter." Jak said out loud. (Daxter was asleep already.) "She won't except me as a friend, or a brother, or anything else." With that said, Jak drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

(While later)

Daxter was asleep, dreaming of chicks in tight bikinis, when he was awoken from his fantasy by a shooting pain in his ribs, the type of pain you get from being kicked.

"Ow!" Daxter was awake instantly. ""God dammit, Jak!" Daxter began, looking over at the offending kicker. However, he was quite surprised to discover that Jak hadn't done it on purpose; in fact, he was asleep.

Daxter watched as Jak thrashed around violently, trapped deep within the realm of his own nightmares. "No. No!" Jak groaned in his sleep. "Please, no!"

"Jak! Wake up, buddy!" Daxter cried out, worried for his friend. But Jak refused to wake; he was now getting himself trapped within his sheets. Cold sweat was now pouring down his brow.

"No! Keira! No!" Jak cried. Suddenly, his blue eyes shot open and he sat up swiftly, drawing breath in horror. Daxter, who had been standing on Jak's chest was catapulted to the other side of the room. "Keira!" Jak gasped while he was stuck in that place between dreamland and reality where you still remember your dreams. It was then that he realized that it was, in fact, a dream. "Dammit!" Jak sighed, falling back on the bed.

Daxter climbed back up on the cot, curious. "What was that?" He asked.

"Nothing." Jak breathed. "Just a nightmare."

"Nightmare? But you never have night…"

"Well, I do now!" Jak yelled, possibly loud enough to wake up several sleeping agents, but he didn't really care. Daxter took a step back from him, in fear of his very existence. Jak's face softened at the look of terror on Daxter's face. "Dax… I'm sorry. I'm just a little… stressed."

Daxter made no comment for about thirty seconds. When he finally spoke, he said. "So, what's the nightmare about?"

Jak sighed. Not something that he wanted to explain. "Lots of things." He finally said guardedly. "I am worried about Samos and Keira… I haven't seen them in two years." Jak paused for several seconds. "Do you know where they are?"

Daxter shook his head. "No. I've searched for them, but no luck yet."

"Maybe it'll be better if I never find them." Jak said, mainly to himself. "I'd hate for them to see me… like this…" Daxter knew instantly that Jak was talking about whatever was happening to him.

"Don't think that way." Daxter said. "Samos and Keira won't reject you. They'll still be there for you."

Jak forced a smile. If Daxter could pretend to make a bleak situation sound hopeful, the least he could do was pretend to be encouraged. "Thanks, Dax." Jak sat on the cot for several minutes in silence before he spoke. "It's no use." He said, getting up. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I get nothing but nightmares. Maybe Torn will have something that needs to be done." Jak jammed on his boots and walked out into the hallway.

"At one o'clock in the morning?" Daxter demanded as he followed Jak out the door.

* * *

"So, what do you think of our newest recruit?" Torn asked Tess in the briefing room. Tess was one of the few females that Torn respected, the other being Ashelin.

Tess sighed. "He's very young. Can't be much older than twenty. However, he must be a great fighter, the way he disarmed Freed like that. But the mirror thing…"

"The guy obviously has issues." Torn said. "That was, without a doubt the strangest request I've ever gotten. Usually its: 'I'm allergic to something or other, don't use it in your cooking.' But… no mirrors?"

"Maybe he's a vampire." Tess suggested half-heartedly. "Maybe he doesn't have a reflection in mirrors."

"No, he was out in the daylight." Torn said. "Besides, vampires don't exist."

"Wait, someone's coming." Tess said. The back door opened and to everyone's surprise, Jak and Daxter stepped though the hidden doorway.

"Do you guys have anything that needs done?" Jak asked right away.

"This late?" Torn asked.

Jak glared at Torn. "I don't sleep much." He said simply.

Tess gave Torn a significant look that Torn disregarded. "Alright. I do have something for you to do." Torn pointed to a faucet sticking out of the sidewall. "Turn that on."

 _This is, without a doubt, the easiest mission I've ever received._ Jak thought as he walked over to the faucet and turned it on. However, instead of water coming out, it oozed a foul-smelling muck. "What is that?" Jak asked, halfway afraid to know the answer.

Torn, thankfully, didn't answer Jak's question. "I've just been informed by one of our spies that the Baron has shut off all water to the slums." Torn said. "He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives, just to destroy the Underground!" Torn paused and laughed sourly. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've seen his evil before, while serving in the Krimzon Guard." Jak stared at Torn. "That's why I quit."

"YOU were a Krimzon Guard?" Half of Jak wanted to rip Torn apart for even reminding him of those bastards that dared to call themselves soldiers. "Oh…" Jak recovered from his momentary shock. "That explains your 'charming' sense of humor."

Torn ignored Jak's comment. "Our informant, an old friend of mine in the Guard, has told me that the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the City, at the Pumping Station."

"Outside the City?" Jak asked. "Is there even a way out of this dump?"

"And IF, and that's a big IF, we do get out, we'd have to deal with the Metal-Heads!" Daxter said. Jak had heard of the Metal-Heads before, during prison. He knew they were monsters that have been trying to over run the City for almost five hundred years, since the time of a famous guy named 'Mar' or something like that. "It ain't no petting zoo out there! Peeps be getting' deep sixed!"

Torn turned to face Jak. "Go to the Water Slums. Find a large drainpipe in the North wall. That will take you outside the City to the Pumping Station." Torn turned to face Daxter. "About the Metal-Heads, I can't help you with that. But if your friend is half as good as he thinks he is, it should be a walk in the park. Anyway…" Torn turned back to face Jak. "Get to the Main Valve and open it. If you survive, the Slums will be indebted to you. If not… MAYBE we'll have a touching moment of silence in your honor."

Jak turned to leave as Daxter leapt onto his shoulder. Once they were out of earshot, Daxter growled. "I'd like to give him a 'touching moment!'" Jak smiled to himself as he walked out into the dark City streets, stole a nearby zoomer, and sped off into the night.

* * *

After a short drive though the City, Jak reached a door in the wall that he assumed was the way out of the City. He pulled the zoomer to a stop right next to the wooden walkway.

"Jak?" Came a shaky voice from his shoulder. Jak looked around and saw that Daxter looked like he was going to be sick. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Do what?" Jak asked, confused.

"Going top speed though the City in the dark…" Daxter said. "That was, without a doubt, the scariest thing I've ever witnessed!"

"Really? I thought the scariest thing you ever witnessed was walking in on Samos without a shirt on." Jak said, laughing for real for the first time in two years.

Daxter fell off Jak's shoulder and vomited in the water below. Apparently, Jak had reminded Daxter of a few unwanted memories. Once Daxter finished his business in the water below he pointed an accusing finger at Jak. "Don't you ever mention that again! EVER!" He spat.

"No problem." Jak said, satirically. "I'm sure that I'd be just as traumatized if I ever saw Samos without a shirt on…"

"JAK!"

"Fine." Jak said.

"You know what?" Daxter asked. "You may be a nineteen year old, but you act so immature at times!" Jak didn't answer this accusation. He knew the truth. He wasn't immature at all; he was only pretending to be immature. Prison had broken his mind, body, and child-like youth. He wasn't immature, not by a long shot. The days where he could tease Daxter endlessly had died in prison.

"Let's just get this over with." Jak said, instantly reverting to 'stoic mode.' He walked though the double doors, which had opened for him without complaint as he thought about his lost youth. Once again, anger welled up inside him as he remembered that the Baron was responsible for all of his misery and suffering. "It doesn't matter." Jak said out-loud to no one in particular. "I'll make the Baron and Erol beg for mercy in the end." Jak's eyes glazed over as a sick kind of fantasy was played before his mind's eye.

The Baron and Erol were on the ground before him, covered in deep scratches and blood… their own blood. "Please…" Erol begged, cowering before him like the coward he really was. "I beg of you, spare me!"

"Show mercy!" The Baron begged, his face was so distorted by his wounds that it took Jak a second to figure out who he was looking at.

Jak grinned grimly. "What mercy? The same mercy you showed me or the thousands of others you tortured to death! The fourteen others that you let rot in that cell, consumed by the Eco you pumped us full of! You will beg for that fate before I'm done with you… You don't deserve to die that way, I'll find something worse…"

"Jak…" Daxter whispered, bring Jak out of his dark fantasy. "Do you see the lights?"

They were standing on a small beach, but that is now what caught the duo's eyes. Even in the moonless night, Jak could see them perfectly, and he quickly assumed that there was a light source somewhere nearby. There were three creatures walking around on the beach. Each one walked on all fours and was covered in a type of bio-metallic armor. Each one had a glowing, yellow skull-gem, which Jak assumed were the 'lights' that Daxter was talking about, that was embedded in their foreheads. They walked around, speaking to each other in a language that was mostly made up of growls, hisses, and the occasional roar. Every once in a while, one would take a swipe at one of its fellows, earning growls and roars in return. "What are those?" Jak asked.

Daxter sighed. "Those are Metal-Heads."

"So… those are Metal-Heads." Jak wondered. He watched as one began to use its hind leg to scratch behind its ear, sending sparks flying as the sharp claws scrapped against the metal. "They don't look very tough."

"Of coarse they don't look tough." Daxter said. "Those seem to be Swippers, they are the weakest type of Metal-Heads."

"So, what's the big deal?" Jak asked.

"I'll tell you what the big deal is." Daxter said. "There's no such thing as a weak Metal-Head!"

"Stop being such a baby." Jak sighed. "There's nothing I can't handle."

"And just how do you know you can handle Metal-Heads, Mr. I'm-pissed-at-the-world!" Daxter said.

Jak remained silent for a second before he spoke. "That's why I was created." He said simply.

Daxter nodded slowly, realizing that Jak was referring to what happened to him in prison. "Last question: how are you going to defeat them in the dark? I can barely see a thing." It was after midnight on a moonless night, there was no light, unless you counted the Metal-Head's skull-gems.

Jak stared at Daxter, surprised. "Really? I can see perfectly fine."

Daxter stared back at Jak. "Cool!" He said finally. "Night-vision!"

"Night-vision?" Jak wondered. That would explain why it seemed to him that the Metal-Heads were in a spotlight and Daxter couldn't see anything, unless Jak's eyes had improved so much that they could pierce the darkest night. "Well, you are just going to have to trust me in the dark."

"Please, I barely trust you at high-noon." Daxter said.

Jak growled to show his annoyance. "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."

With that, Jak ran down the beach towards the Metal-Heads. The sound of booted feet pounding on the sand attracted the Metal-Head's attention and all three of their ugly heads turned as one to face this newest threat. The Metal-Heads growled as they spread out in a semi-circle in an attempt to draw Jak towards one of them so that the other two could attack him.

Jak slid to a halt just before he reached a place where any two of them could attack, eying the situation, his battle-keen mind plotting his next move, or lack thereof. The Metal-Heads didn't attack; they merely waited for him to make the next move. "Come and get me." Jak growled.

The Metal-Heads seemed confused. This creature was obviously a threat, but he didn't attack. They hissed at each other, obviously fighting over what to do next. Finally, one lost its patience with the other two and rushed at Jak, hoping to catch him off guard. A mistake that cost the Metal-Head his life, for Jak was far from 'off guard', he was ready.

Just before the Metal-Head reached him, Jak leapt into the air and landed square on the Metal-Head's back. Before the Metal-Head knew what was happening, Jak was ripping into an armor-less spot at the base of its head, one weakness that Jak instinctively knew about. Jak reached the neck bone and snapped it with a swift movement. The Metal-Head was instantly paralyzed from the neck down, and was dead within seconds. The Metal-Head's useless legs fell out from under it, fell to the ground, and skidded a good seven feet before coming to a rest. Jak got off the corpse and faced the other two Metal-Heads, who were hissing in surprise at the death of their comrade.

"What just happened?" Daxter panicked, on account of not being able to see past his own nose.

"One down, two to go." Jak said simply. Jak saw the remaining two Metal-Heads perfectly with the strange 'night-vision' he had suddenly been granted. The last two Metal-Heads, who were smarter than the dead one at Jak's feet, stood their ground in a tense face-off. Suddenly, Jak growled. "Eat this."

He grabbed the body of the dead Metal-Head, easily twice his size, and, using his super-human strength, lifted up the monster and threw it at its former comrades. One Metal-Head dodged the flying carcass, but the other was not so swift. It was pinned under its dead body. The Metal-Head that hadn't been pinned rushed at Jak in a desperate attempt to kill him. Once again, Jak tried the trick that had worked on the other Metal-Head, but the Metal-Head wasn't to be fooled. At the last second, the Metal-Head leapt to one side, causing Jak to miss its back.

He tried to recover as fast as he could from his mistake, but the damage had already been done. The Metal-Head's claws slashed Jak across the face, leaving three deep cuts, which nearly took out one of his eyes. Jak leapt back, away from the fight, and put a hand up to his wound. He pulled his hand away to reveal a small amount of his blood on his fingers. Jak glared at the offending Metal-Head.

The Metal-Head growled, as if saying: 'Your first blood goes to me. That was a warning, back down now or be killed.'

But Jak had grown far to rash to even consider 'backing down' an option. Jak rushed at the creature and, just as the Metal-Head lashed out at him, Jak side-stepped the attack and preformed a perfectly executed spin-kick that hit the Metal-Head right on target, in the jaw.

The creature fell over; it's mouth hanging open uselessly. Jak had broken its jawbone. The Metal-Head fell to the ground, stunned. Jak kicked its side until its unarmored chest was revealed, and he began to rip into the flesh. Jak dug deeper, his eyes aflame with madness, as he searched for his trophy. The wretched creature shrieked in pain again and again as Jak dug deeper into his flesh, finally finding what he was looking for.

He took hold of the object and pulled it out of the creature. Jak held the creature's warm, still beating heart in his hands.

As can be imagined, nothing can survive an extended amount of time without a heart. The creature let out one last gargle as it died. Jak then turned to face the remaining Metal-Head, still trapped under the body of its fellow. Jak walked over, still carrying the heart, and dropped it in front of the Metal-Head's face.

If Metal-Head's faces can show fear, this one could. It stared at the heart that lay before its eyes and began to reek of fear. The smell disgusted Jak to his core. He lifted up his boot and began to stomp on the Metal-Head's face. Again and again the boot connected, and the Metal-Head roared in pain. Finally, there was nothing left but a bloody stain on the ground where the monster's head should've been.

"Is it over?" Daxter asked uncertainly when Jak had finished his bloody work with the Metal-Head.

"Yes, it's over." Jak said. For the first time, he was aware that his face stung, sort of like a wumpbee was stinging him in several places across his face. "Ow." Jak said, more in surprise then in actual pain. He felt his face where the Metal-Head had sliced him. The blood from the various cuts had dried and he wiped it off. He felt the skin underneath. Healed, without even the trace of a scar. He knew what must've happened. The Dark Eco must've healed him. "Dark Eco can be quite useful." Jak said to himself.

"Yeah, whatever. I'd be glad if we could…" Daxter paused as Jak approached one of the Metal-Head carcasses, oozing of Dark Eco. Just like the frog-like creatures, the Dark Eco was attracted to Jak as it jumped straight into his system. Not only that, but he seemed to be attracted by the glowing skull-gem that was embedded in their foreheads. Daxter joined Jak in studying them. "Pretty…" Daxter breathed, watching the many yellows swirl across the surface.

"Funny…" Jak said, his eyes glazed over in an almost hypnotized manner. "But I have a feeling that those things are important."

"The skull-gems?"

"Yeah. I'm just getting the feeling… that we are going to need them sooner or later." Jak said, digging his fingers into the flesh around the skull-gem and prying it from its forehead.

"Well, I guess your feelings are usually right." Daxter said. "Go on, get them." Jak continued to collect the skull-gems from the remaining bodies; even the one with his head smashed in, for the gem remained intact. "Now, can we get out of here? I can't see a blasted thing."

"Hey, don't worry, Daxter." Jak said. "I can see in the dark. As long as you're with me, you're safe."

"That makes me feel loads better." Daxter said sarcastically as he and Jak headed away from the Metal-Head bloodstained battlefield that marked Jak's first fight with Metal-Head, but certainly not his last.

* * *

After a long walk over the small area, where the duo had been held up several times by Metal-Heads, which Jak quickly disposed of and collected their skull-gems.

Jak and Daxter finally the main valve high up on a cliff. The valve itself was brightly lit, so Daxter would have no problem seeing. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder. "Ah, the valve. Allow me." He said, waving Jak off. Daxter grabbed onto the valve with both of his little paws and turned with all his might. Unfortunately, 'all his might' just wasn't good enough. The valve didn't budge. Daxter tried and tried to turn the valve several times, unsuccessfully. Finally, Jak grew impatient. With a roll of his eyes, he kicked the valve. Unfortunately, Daxter was still holding onto the valve when it started spinning, therefore sling-shooting him into a pipe. Daxter began to fly down the thin pipe, with many cries of pain.

Jak growled as Daxter disappeared. Jak glanced around, there was a cliff heading in Daxter's direction that was within jumping range. However, I do not mean a regular person's jumping range, this was Jak's jumping range, which was over twenty feet away.

Jak snarled as he leapt for it, landing firmly on the ground. Jak spotted another cliff that was little more than a glorified out-cropping of rock, but Jak leapt for it anyway, landing perfectly. He continued this way until he landed back on the sand where he had begun after a particularly long jump, almost thirty feet. Jak rushed over to the machinery.

Jak could now hear Daxter's calls for help. "Jak… help… Jak, help!" A pause, Daxter was stuck in the machinery. "Jak… please… help…" Jak walked up and turned the valve on the machine. The pressure of the water building up behind Daxter eventually forced him from the pipes along with a rush of water. Jak turned the valve back to the 'closed' position again and knelled down by where Daxter lay. Jak opened his mouth to make a smart comment when… "Don't say it! Don't even chuckle!" Jak grinned as Daxter sat up and glared at him. "Next time… you turn the valve…" Then Daxter passed out. Jak laughed as he picked up his friend and headed towards the exit.


	16. Jak's Alive?!

Keira and Carla sat at the table for dinner. When Keira had a fully functioning racing team, it had been easier to get ends to meet. But now that her race team was down in the dumps, it was significantly harder.

"So… have you found a racer yet?" Carla asked casually.

Keira sighed… as always. "No, I haven't." She said. "I've gone as far as to ask Krew to keep a lookout for me. Tigran once worked for Krew, so maybe Krew will be able to find a replacement."

There was a long pause in the conversation. Finally, Carla said. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Keira asked.

"Someone escaped from the Fortress Prison!" Carla said.

"What?" Keira asked, amazed. Breaking out of the prison was supposed to be impossible.

"Yes, it's big news. I've never heard of someone escaping before!" Carla said. "Apparently, the Baron is obsessed with his recapture. He's offering a huge reward in return for information leading to his capture. Fifty thousand units of Eco… or the exchange of a loved one out of prison!"

"This prisoner must be either very valuable… or infamous." Keira said.

"I doubt 'infamous'." Carla said. "I've never heard of him before. He must be valuable. We should be careful while a man with fifty-six counts is running around."

"Fifty-six?" Keira asked. "Fifty-six counts of what?"

"Murder." Carla answered.

Keira gasped. "How could anyone purposely kill that many people?" She asked, horrified.

"It is a pretty high count." Carla admitted. "But some people are just like that. They don't care about anyone or anything… apart from themselves. They just get some sort of sick pleasure by killing other people."

"What's this man's name?" Keira asked.

"It's strange. It's a well-known name, named after an ancient hero, I guess. His parents were obviously at fault naming a murder after such a great legend." Carla mused.

"But what's his name?" Keira asked.

"Jak." Carla said. Keira gasped. "It's strange too, that is your friend's name, isn't it?"

"Jak?" Keira asked, unable to believe. _Is it possible?_ She wondered. _Is it possible that, after two years, Jak is still alive?_ She hadn't even gotten around to thinking about his murder charges.

"Yes, interesting coincidence." Carla said.

"Yes… interesting…" Keira said slowly. There was only one way to find out for sure if this mystery man was, in fact, _her_ Jak. There was only one person she knew that worked in the prison. He had to know about this mystery 'Jak'. She would find out, even if it meant paying a little visit to Erol, the Commander of the Krimzon Guards.

* * *

(Stadium, Race Garage 1: Erol's Team.)

"Erol?" Keira asked as she walked into the Garage, which was in a lot better condition then Keira's was at the moment.

Erol walked out of one of the back rooms. As soon as he saw Keira, Erol strutted over towards Keira, giving Keira the impression of an extremely proud cock. "Keira! So, have you come to your senses and come to join my team?"

"No." Keira said. "Actually, I want to talk about the man who escaped from the fortress…"

Erol blinked. "I know you must be very worried, but you shouldn't be afraid. The Krimzon Guard are hunting him down now even as we speak. He'll either be dead or behind bars soon."

Keira sighed. "I don't want to hear rehearsed lines. I want to know about the prisoner."

"Most of that is classified information." He said. "But, I guess there is no harm in some questions. The more you know, the safer you'll be."

"First, is 'Jak' his real name?" Keira asked.

"As far as I can tell." Erol said.

"What did he do to get in prison?"

"I'm sorry, but that's classified information." Erol said. "Only the Baron and I can know that."

"Hair color?" Keira asked. It would be the final straw. How many people walked around with bi-colored hair? Bi-colored hair was almost as rare as twins.

" Bi-colored." Erol answered. "Blonde with green roots, very unusual."

Keira suddenly felt like her world was closing in on her. She sat down on a near-by workbench, gasping for air like she couldn't breathe. "Oh my Precursors!" She gasped.

Erol seemed concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I—I knew him!" She gasped. "Oh Precursors, I KNEW him!"

"You knew him?" Erol repeated unnecessarily. But he was surprised. The Baron said that the boy wouldn't know anyone, that he was alone, or so the spy said…

"How could he? Fifty-six counts of murder?" Keira turned to Erol, shaking her head in disbelief. "No! That's not my Jak! He would never kill anyone! Never!"

"Fifty-six is an accurate count." Erol said factually, then he paused. "Wait, no it's not. He killed… no… completely OBLITERATED a whole legion of Krimzon on his way out of the prison."

"A—a whole legion?" Keira repeated. Her brain was barely able to process the information. She could never in a thousand years imagine HER Jak as a murderer.

"You say you once knew him?" Erol asked.

Keira nodded. "Two years ago was the last time I saw him."

Erol thought. Two years? The date fit with the day of that freak's arrest. So, he could only assume that she was telling the truth about knowing him. He came to prison with no records of any kind so, on paper, he basically didn't exist. This made him a prime candidate for the Dark Warrior Program. And since he didn't even exist on paper, Keira couldn't have just found him out in old records, she had to know him. But… just how well did she know him? Were they friends? Were they dating? Were they lovers, perhaps? "I happened to have… uh… met this man on several occasions." Erol said. "At first, he was innocent and naive. Perhaps that's the man you're thinking of? But, now he's a cold-blooded, calculating creature that would kill you as soon as look at you." Erol paused. "He never gave those fifty-six plus Krimzon Guards or prisoners a change. I have personally witnessed several of those murders. There's no heart there. There's nothing except a creature hell-bent on bring as many people as he can down with him…"

"What do you mean, 'down with him'?" Keira asked.

Erol paused dramatically. "I've said too much. That is classified information." Then, he decide to tell her, just to see how deep this friendship went. "Let's just say, however that, unless there is some miracle, he doesn't have much longer."

Keira didn't say anything of almost a full minute. "You mean he's… dying?"

"Our scientists are 99.9998 sure." Erol said. "There's every evidence that he'll eventually die, wither in a few days or in a few years, it's hard to tell, I'm not a scientist."

"But there's still a chance." Keira said desperately. However, she knew she was grasping straws. .0002 is nothing.

Erol seemed to agree. "There's no chance for him."

He watched the beautiful she-elf closely. Suddenly… a single tear ran down her face, and that was all Erol needed. _So, she was in love with the freak, eh? What if the feelings are mutual? Could I use that to my advantage? Was he in love? Did he ever mention a girl? AUGH! I don't know! The only thing I ever heard coming from his mouth was screams._

"Keira…" Erol said, injecting as much sympathy in his voice as he could without sounding fake. "He is no-longer capable of caring for anyone but himself. He is out for self-preservation only. He doesn't care for you anymore… he only cares about himself."

Keira didn't say anything. She desperately didn't want to believe a word that came out of Erol's mouth, but he had no reason to lie to her. Why would he? "Thanks, Erol." Keira said, getting up to leave, her emotions all over the place.

"Anytime." Erol said, smiling as Keira walked out of the Garage. He knew now that she had feelings for the freak and, with any luck, the feelings would be mutual. And if they were… not only would he get Keira for himself, but he would deal a telling blow to Jak at the same time. That stupid little boy who had the nerve to escape from prison! "I'll get you, Freak!" Erol hissed quietly, in case Keira was still within hearing range. "I swear on the Ancient Ones that I'll get you!"


	17. Back To The Fortress

As soon as Jak walked back into the City, he became aware of some sort of 'voiceless voice' calling for him. It urged him to come, for it was something extremely important. The summons was coming for not too far away, so Jak stole a nearby zoomer and began to head toward the calling voice.

"Uh… Jak?" Daxter asked as Jak didn't head for the exit. "The exit of the Water Slums is that way." He pointed.

"Not yet, something's calling me." Jak said in a dazed sort of way.

Daxter realized that Jak was in one of his 'weird moods'. "Okay…"

Jak followed the summons to its origin and found that it was coming from an old, run-down building. It didn't look like much, only half-rotted wood, a tiny little shack that looked like it could fall into the water at any moment. "It's coming from in there." Jak said. He walked though the door, which opened automatically to let him in.

"Sweet Precursors! Is that what I think it is?" Daxter demanded.

It was a Precursor Oracle, an ancient Precursor-made device that had the power to see into the past, present, and future. Not that they ever let on much. It usually wasn't until the thing that they prophesied happened to you that you would understand what they meant. They tended to speak in riddles and pretended not to give out any information, when they actually were giving it out. As you can see, Oracles could be a pain to handle. Its appearance was much as Jak remembered from Sandover. It was made completely of indestructible Precursor metal; its large orange face had two large glowing eyes that once held power cells, and it had a long drooping snout-like thing that nearly went to the ground.

Suddenly, the eyes glowed brighter and the mysterious and ancient presence of the Oracle entered the room. It seemed to gaze down at Jak with unblinking, staring eyes. "Greetings, Great Warrior, I have waited many years for your return."

Not unusually, this statement confused Jak. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"You shall discover in time, Great One." The Oracle rumbled. "It is I who summoned you, for we have much to discuss, and not all topic will be happy ones, as much as it pains me." The Oracle paused. "I sense the Darkness within you, it grows and is slowly, but surely consuming you. You will die."

"Don't all mortals die in the end?" Jak asked.

"True, but those are natural deaths that can not be stopped. This is a death that is unnatural, and it must be stopped. You see, the Darkness will destroy you in a little under a year, several months, at the most."

"What…" Jak paused, putting it together. "Dark Eco Poisoning?"

"Yes. You've witnessed this terrible death, and I can see that you have no desire for that death…"

"No desire?" Jak demanded. "Is there one person on this world who'd want to die of Dark Eco Poisoning?"

"True." The Oracle said. "This is a complete disaster, worse than you, a mortal, could understand. Your kind is needed in the world in the next few years, and we cannot allow you to die this soon… not when it isn't your time to go."

"So, I'm going to die in a few months of Dark Eco Poisoning?" Jak asked. "How are you supposed to stop that? There is no cure for Dark Eco Poisoning."

"There is a cure." The Oracle said. "There is a cure for everything, the hard part is finding it."

"There's a cure?" Jak demanded, for he really didn't want to die of Dark Eco Poisoning. The thought of the pain haunted him. "What is it?"

"There is a known cure. Only with the Powers of the Precursors can you be saved." The Oracle said.

There was a paused. Finally, Jak spoke up. "Well, aren't you going to do it?"

"I can not." The Oracle said. "Only a true living Precursor can perform this task."

There was silence for several minutes before Daxter spoke up. "A living Precursor? Listen, Oracle, I don't know how long you've been cooped up in here, but you've obviously missed a few important memos. There are no more living Precursors! They're gone! Dead! Extinct!"

"Daxter's right." Jak said. "The Precursors have been gone for thousands of years… no… eons. There are no more Precursors!"

"Precursors exist still." The Oracle said. "For there are other states of being. Perhaps no living Precursors are within range of this planet, able to get here before you die, but there are Precursors."

"I don't understand." Jak said. "Are you saying…?"

"I'm saying that there is hope for you." The Oracle said. "In the mean time, I can help you. As of now, your Dark Powers are crazy and out of your control. I can help you with that."

"Are you saying you'll give me the power to control myself?" Jak asked.

"Yes, but you'll have to prove your worth first." The Oracle said. "Destroy my enemies, those creatures your kind call the 'Metal-Heads.' Bring me twenty-five of their skull gems and I will teach you how to control these Dark Powers of yours." The Oracle paused. "Find the cure, find a Precursor. I wish you all the luck in the world, Great One." With that, booming presence of the Oracle faded.

There was silence for several seconds, and for good reason. Jak had always known his particular profession would one day kill him, but he never expected that to happen when he was only nineteen. He wasn't even old enough to drink legally, yet he was going to die? It didn't seem fair. But, then again, nothing had been 'fair' since he had arrived in Haven two years ago.

"Jak?" Daxter asked at the look on Jak's face. "Are you all right?"

Jak blinked. "Of coarse, I'm all right."

"Well, you shouldn't be. You just found out that you are on the fast track to the 'sleep eternal'! You shouldn't be all right at all!"

"Dax… I'm—I'm fine." Jak said, but the tone of his tone told Daxter that he didn't believe those words in the slightest.

"Perhaps…" Daxter said. "A good mission may help get this off your mind."

"Perhaps…" Jak said as he walked out of the little hut, the Oracle's empty gaze on him.

A short drive though the crowded streets later, and Jak was outside the Underground. He walked up to the door, which opened automatically to let him in. Torn met him instantly in the front room of the Underground.

"The Slum's water is back on." Torn said. "I'd love to see the heads roll when the Baron finds out."

"Yeah," Jak said sarcastically. "I'm sure he's losing lots of sleep over this 'arm-pit' of the City. We've done what you've asked, now when do we see the Shadow?"

"When I say so… if I say so." Torn said, glaring at Jak. "But before I even think about it, I want you to take out an ammo dump we've ID'ed in the fortress. The ammo dump is well guarded, lots of Krimzon Guards… constant patrols. However, I know that it's vulnerable, and the Underground needs you to blow up all the ammo inside. Get all of it, and we'll deal a body-blow to the Baron!"

"Hey! You're sendin' _us_ in, Tough Guy! So what's with this ' _We'll_ deal a body-blow' stuff?" Daxter complained.

"That's fine by me." Jak said. "As long as the Baron knows that it's ME…" His fist slammed on the table. "…Who's hurting him."

Torn stared at Jak for a second, wondering what in the world could make this young… boy so hell-bent on the Baron's demise. Not that most people didn't want the Baron dead, but most only muttered insults under their breath and behind the Baron's back. Not everyone openly defied him as Jak did. Torn knew from his time in the Krimzon Guard that one should tread lightly around Praxis, or you would find yourself in a helluva lot of trouble.

Without wasting another second, Jak spun on his heel and was out of the Underground. Torn resolved that he would try to figure this boy out. Jak could very well be a wild-card, and wild-cards were the last thing he wanted or needed in this war. He would have to discover Jak's true intentions, whether or not he really supported their cause, or just wanted to get at the Baron.

* * *

Jak walked back out into the City, and he was not in a good mood at all. Was it only a few days ago when he risked his life to be the first person ever to escape the Baron's prison, and now he was going to waltz right back in… through the front door, no less!

"I swear to the Precursors, if I get captured again, I'm going to escape and add Torn to the 'Must-Die' list." Jak vowed.

"I doubt they are going to be so stupid to let you escape again." Daxter said. "Hell, if they manage to capture you, you'd probably be put under constant surveillance."

"That's no different from the last time I was in there." Jak hissed, stealing a zoomer and heading for the entrance for the fortress, which was near-by.

"You mean… you didn't get ANY privacy?"

"None. You got used to being watched."

Daxter shuttered. "Prison must've been terrible."

"Like hell… only worse."

Silence reigned again. They pulled up to the surprisingly unguarded front door. Jak walked up, and the doors open, quite unusual. This put Jak on edge. _Why would the doors be open? Anyone could walk in here! Even the Baron isn't that stupid. Unless… anyone who made it in here wouldn't live long enough to realize their foolish mistake…_ Jak thought. _Well, it's not like I'm helpless. I should be more than a match for anything I find in here._ So Jak walked though the open doors.

They closed instantly behind him as soon as he was inside. Jak spun around instantly and tried to open the door, but it was no use. They were shut tight, they were locked inside.

To make matters worse, Jak heard a slight rumbling behind him and he spun around. A massive tank sat idly in the corner. Daxter didn't realize how idle it was, and he freaked out. "Oh my Precursors! Run Jak!"

"Dax, calm down. It isn't turned on." Jak said, walking up right in front of the front roller. "See." He said when the tank didn't react in the slightest.

"Oh, I knew that." Daxter said to cover up his mistake. "I was just… uh… testing your reflexes."

"Yeah right." Jak said tolerably. He looked around. There were two ways out of the current room. On way was blocked off by a force field, impossible for even Jak to pass, and the other was completely clear of obstacles. "This is almost too easy." Jak said as he walked over to the doorway.

"Don't jinx us!" Daxter hissed.

But it was too late. Fate had already jinxed the Dark Elf. The doorway looked completely ordinary at first, but if Jak had taken the time to examine the doorway, he might have notice the button-like machine that admitted a small, near-invisible ion beam across the doorway. If this ion beam was broken in anyway, all hell would break loose. Unfortunately for Jak, the laser was tripped, by his booted feet.

Instantly, the Eco-lights overhead turned red and alarms began to sound. "Shit!" Jak swore, as he realized he had just tripped the security system somehow.

The Computer voice sounded over the speakers. "Warning, you do not have clearance to use that door. I am authorized to kill on sight. You have been warned. Activating security tank. Have a nice day." The voice said with a monotonous cheer as the tank suddenly activated. It's huge, double barreled laser swinging around, the laser sight coming to rest on Jak's chest, just where his heart was.

Jak barely had the time to leap out of the way before the bullets tore through his heart. However, the tank simply re-aimed at Jak again in its single-minded haste to kill the intruder. The Dark Elf realized that this wasn't a fight that he could win, so he only had one choice; he turned around to face the doorway and ran down the hall.

However, the tank was right behind him. It moved surprisingly fast of a large, lumbering tank, and it could even take the corners with ease. Even with his enhanced speed, Jak was barely able to keep ahead of the machine's bullets. There was another problem too, was this a learning machine? How long would it take it to figure out that if it shot just ahead of it's target, it would get him. Jak prayed to the Precursors that this tank wasn't smart enough to figure that out.

 _It probably wasn't going to matter anyway…_ Jak thought as he took another corner at full speed, almost slipping on the prison floor, a potentially deadly mistake. _I'll probably get tired or slip or something._ For it was true. Jak rarely had to run at full speed for long stretches at a time. He was like a cheetah, extremely fast over short distances, but once you pass that, you have to go back to a normal run. He was getting tired, and he prayed also that he found a way out of this mess before that happened.

Finally, before him, a door! A thick metal one that could hold the tank at bay. Jak put all of himself into one final sprint, and made it to the door. He skidded to a halt and hit the 'close' button with his fist. The door closed quickly, putting six inches of metal between himself and the tank.

Once he was safe, Jak walked over to a wall, put his back against it, and slid down into sitting position, gasping for air. Daxter slumped on Jak's shoulder. "Hey, Jak? Next time you almost get yourself killed, leave me behind. Okay?"

Jak almost laughed… almost. "Come on, Dax. Let's go." He said.

After a fair bit of walking, they finally made it to a door that said 'Ammo' on the front. "This must be the place." Then Jak say that the door could only be opened via a computer that you had to input the password. If you had the wrong password, alarms would go off, bring a lot of Krimzon Guards in their wake. However, Jak wouldn't risk tampering with it, because one wrong move would set off the alarms also. "Great." He hissed. "Now we're screwed."

"What? You can't open the door? All you have to do is…" Daxter paused. "Wait a sec… I know something that you don't know!"

"Dax…"

"Oh my God, this is great! I never thought I'd know something that you didn't know!"

"Just open the door."

"Just give me a second!" Daxter said, pausing. "Wow, so this is what you feel like all the time? Except for now, of coarse…"

"Daxter!"

"Okay, fine, you don't have to be so pushy." Daxter said, jumping onto the computer console and messing around with it for a few seconds, and then the doors opened without complaint.

"Wow." Jak said. "I'm actually impressed. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Daxter scoffed. "Please, any great burglar knows how to open a stupid password lock."

"Burglar? Wait a minute… so let me get this straight." Jak said. "While I was in prison getting tortured, you were out in Haven City stealing things?"

"Wrong, I was looking EVERYWHERE for you!" Daxter retorted. "Of coarse, if something caught my fancy…" Daxter trailed off as Jak frowned. "Hey! Don't look at me like that! How do you think I got those clothes for you?"

Jak looked down at his current outfit. "No… I don't even want to know."

"Aww… don't worry about. He was a big fat guy. He didn't need them anymore." Daxter said with a wave of his paw.

"Shut up!" Jak hissed as he walked into the door. There on one of the barrels was a small pass of some sort. Jak picked it up.

"That's a security pass." Daxter explained. "We will need those to get through the checkpoints located around the City. This one opens up South Town, I believe." While Daxter spoke, Jak pocketed the pass and looked around at his surroundings.

Another tank stood in the corner, but this one was about as active as the first tank… at first. Jak heard voice coming out of a grate in the ground, so he went over for a closer look.

Two Krimzon Guards were standing in a large room, guarding barrels full of Eco. Two Metal-Heads were coming in through a large grate in the wall. Jak wondered why neither of them attacked. The Metal-Heads saw the Guards, and Jak was sure that the Guards saw the Metal-Heads too, unless they were blind. Suddenly, one of the Guards spoke, apparently to the Metal-Heads. "These barrels are the latest shipment of Eco." The Guards said. "The Baron says take them and get out of the City!"

The Metal-Heads growled and began to drag some of the barrels away. More Metal-Heads poured out of the grate and began to move the rest of them. The Guards kept their weapons trained on the Metal-Heads at all times.

"Metal-Heads in the City?" Jak asked quietly, so that the Guards or Metal-Heads below couldn't hear him. "Why are the Baron's Guards giving them Eco?"

Suddenly, there was a rumbling behind them and Jak looked around in horror. The inactive security tank was suddenly activated. But before it had the chance to aim, Jak was off at a run. He leapt over any boxes that got in his way, not even taking the time to go around them. The security tank obliterated these boxes. At the end of the room, a large warhead stuck out of the ground.

"That must be the ammo Torn told us to blow up!" Daxter said as Jak hid behind it.

"Yeah, but how do we destroy it when we've got a security tank on our ass?" Jak demanded.

"You're the hero!" Daxter yelled. "You figure it out!"

"You're the sidekick!" Jak retorted. "You're supposed to help the hero!"

"That's not in my job description!" Daxter complained.

Suddenly, while the duo was arguing, there was an explosion. The security tank had blown something up. The Computer voice sounded throughout the room. "Warning, missile cooling system damaged. Please cease fire!"

However, the tank was programmed to search-and-destroy and not for taking orders. The gunshots continued to ring through the air. There was a second explosion. The Computer voice sounded again. "Missile cooling system severely damaged. System overloading. Please cease fire!"

Then Jak had a brainwave. "We'll use the tank to destroy the warhead. We'll just get it to destroy the rest of the cooling system!" Jak then began to coax that tank's fire on him, but he lead them to the pipes that were the cooling system. It was dangerous work, but it was working. The third pipe exploded.

"System overload. Please cease fire or the Warhead will overload and detonate." The Computer warned. However, while the Computer said this, Jak had gotten the last of the pipes to explode. "Warning, Warhead explosion imminent. Evacuate immediately. Warhead explosion in tee-minus ten seconds."

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Daxter yelled.

"Agreed!" Jak yelled as he ran for a large window.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five…" Jak was almost at the window. "Four… Three…" Jak reached the window. "Two… One…" Jak jumped for the window and crashed through just as the warhead exploded. The blast propelled him out the door and toward the metal roof of a Slum house. Daxter hit the roof and fell to the ground relatively unharmed. Jak, however, was a different story. There happened to be a pipe sticking out of the building, horizontally, an all-too-common feature of Slum housing. Jak happened, in a strange event that strangely resembled Daxter's accident in Dead Town, to land on it on an extremely painful place.

After a moment of terrifying pain, Jak too fell to the ground, the force knocking the air out of his lungs and making him forget the previous pain… almost… After a second, Jak groaned and sat up, looking around for Daxter, and not finding him.

Suddenly, Jak's face blanched and he got up off the ground extremely quickly. It turned out that he was sitting on Daxter.

The orange rat coughed and sputtered. "Dax? Are you all right?" Jak asked.

Daxter continued to cough. "This place has too much excitement…" He commented. "We really need to move back to the country."

Jak shook his head in spite of himself. "Don't worry, we'll get back to Sandover. But first I've got to…"

"Kill Praxis and Erol…" Daxter finished. "We all know, Jak."

"Come on, Dax." Jak said, picking up the rat. "Back to the Hideout."

* * *


	18. The Return of Krew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the only chapter title that I've updated from the original version on FFnet. It's been bothering me for years.

Jak walked into the Underground Hideout and found Torn was waiting in the front room. "The demolition duo has returned!" Daxter proclaimed, jumping up on the table. "One barbecued ammo dump, served up hot!"

Torn rolled his eyes. "Is that all?"

"We did see something odd while torching that ammo." Jak said. "The Baron's guards were giving barrels filled with Eco to a group of Metal-Heads!"

Torn looked around at Jak, surprise written on his face. "Really? The Shadow will be very interested to hear that."

"You know what? So far, your gigs have been easier than stealing grass from a sleeping Yakkow." Daxter said.

Torn chuckled. "You and the rodent wanna start proving yourselves? Fine. One of our main suppliers needs his payment delivered, a bag of Eco ore. Take the zoomer parked out front and drive it to the Hip Hog Haven saloon in the Port area in South Town. Ask for Krew, he'll be there. And you better not let the Baron's patrols stop you."

"Why would the Baron stop us?" Jak asked. "Carrying a bag of Eco ore isn't illegal… is it?"

"It's illegal to trade in Eco without the Baron's authorization." Torn explained. "And one more thing before you go. Once you get there, pump Krew for information. He's wired into the City, and may know what the Baron is up too."

"You can count on us." Daxter said.

"Are you still here?" Torn asked.

Jak nodded silently and walked out of the Underground hideout. Almost immediately, he spotted the zoomer in question. It was a small, speedy type that had a small package of Eco ore on the back.

Jak jumped onto the zoomer and took off at a speed, following Daxter's instructions to get to the Port area and this 'Hip Hog Haven Saloon.'

* * *

On the way there, Jak had gotten into a scrap with the Krimzon Guards, but he had managed to lose them and he pulled up to the Hip Hog, the bag of Eco ore completely unharmed. Jak grabbed the bag, Daxter jumped on his shoulder, and they both walked into a bar.

It was just like you would imagine a bar. There were several booths along the sides of the walls, a rink in the middle, presumably for wrestling matches that took place there. There was a bar at the end… with a mirror.

Jak stared at his reflection, the horrible demonic creature and decided the best course of action would be to ignore the situation. Hopefully, no one would notice if Jak didn't draw attention to himself.

A large dark-skinned elf stood to the side of the rink, watching them, there seemed to be no other elf in sight. Daxter elbowed Jak's head. "Hey, watch me handle this, Jak. Watch my finesse and style!"

"Don't forget to ask about the…" Jak began as Daxter jumped off his shoulder.

"Everything's cool… nobody panic." Daxter walked up to the large elf. "Hey! You Krew?"

The elf laughed. "Me? Krew? No, I ain't Krew." He pointed to just above the bar. "That is Krew."

The duo looked at where the elf was pointed and both let out audible gasps. Jak couldn't help but stare. He had never… in his entire life… seen an elf that was so… fat! What was worse, he sat in a little doughnut-like hover-chair that allowed his fat to roll off the edges. He couldn't see how the little hover-chair could hold him up in the first place. Jak was sure that more than one of the laws of physics and nature were being broken.

"So… you're Krew…" Daxter began, recovering himself. "Well, we shook the heat, and your shipment's in _primo_ condition."

"That's good, eh." Krew said. "Because a cargo of rare Eco ore is worth more than ten of your lives!" Krew floated over to Jak, and it took all of his will power not to let the stench overtake him. Jak cursed the Gods, or the Precursors, or whoever for his enhanced sense of smell. "And of course, I'd be forced to collect… slowly…" Krew laughed. "The Underground will accept anyone with a pulse these days." Krew glanced at Daxter. "And what do we have here? The Shadow's Mascot of the Month?" Krew reached out with a grubby finger and began to stroke Daxter's fur. "Oooh… soft." Daxter gagged as Krew removed his hand. "Sig, this fur will go well with my silk suits, eh." He said to the large elf.

"Listen… ah… Tones of Fun." Daxter said nervously. "Anyone can see that you… and I have the real juice in this burg. We're both players, right? We're both looking for a piece of the action, right? I think we can do business, right?"

At that moment, Jak's already severely shortened patience snapped. "We did you a favor, now it's your turn." Jak hissed angrily. "Why is the Baron giving Eco to Metal-Heads?"

"Questions like that could get a person killed, eh!" Krew growled, and then he turned to Sig. "Sig, pay 'el Capitan' and his friend here… a bonus." Sig walked up to Jak, and the Dark Elf crouched slightly, ready for a fight when the large elf pushed a medium-sized gun in his face. But he wasn't aiming at him, but offering it to him. Jak blinked in confusion before accepting the weapon. A slow, insane grin spread across his face. "If you want to see what that baby can do, try the gun course outside. Show me some skill with that hardware, and I'll hire you for a job or two, eh."

Jak put the weapon in the ready-made holster on his back and walked out. He turned and became to walk down the Port to where the Gun course was located. "Oh no!" Daxter said. "Imagine you with a gun! We're all doomed!"

"Shut up, Dax." Jak said. "Time to REALLY have some fun!"

"We're doomed…" Daxter repeated.

* * *

Jak learned the ways of the Morph-Gun and ended up slaughtering the old record in the Gun Course. He walked back into the saloon, a smug grin on his face.

"Excellent shooting, Jak!" Krew praised. "Ever thought about being a Wastelander?"

"Can't say that I have." Jak lied. In truth, he didn't even know what a Wastelander was.

"Wastelanders are the ones that find items for me outside the City walls." Krew explained. "Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through my hands. You meet plenty of Metal-Heads on the job, but you seem to be able to handle yourself in combat. They should be a piece of cake for you. Work for me and I'll throw some of the sweeter items your way."

Jak thought about this deal for a second. Not a lot to think about, really. "Kill Metal-Heads? Get toys? Sounds good to me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down Jak and a fat man!" Daxter said. "You two had better run that by me again cause there's no way I'm going outside the City to face more Metal-Heads!"

"Dax!" Jak spat. "I'll be the one fighting the Metal-Heads, not you." Then he added in a whisper. "Besides, I need those skull-gems."

"Oh…" Daxter said, understanding.

Jak turned back to Krew. "I'll take the job."

"Sig will show you the ropes." Krew said, floating away.

"So you wanna be Wastelanders, huh dough-boys?" Sig asked. "Well, we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick. Krew wants some new trophies to put butts in chairs at the Hip Hog, so I'm gonna bag him five nasty Metal-Heads at the Pumping Station." Daxter gulped nervously. "Don't wet your fur, chili pepper, cause we're rollin' with the Peacemaker!" Sig held up a large weapon that seemed slightly inspired by the Metal-Heads. It looked like a powerful weapon.

"Wow! I need one of those!" Daxter exclaimed. "Where'd ya get it?"

"Don't ask." Krew said, floating back into the conversation. "Sig needs someone to watch his back while he tracks the Metal-Heads, eh."

"We'll meet at the Pumping Station." Sig said, pointed a finger at Jak. "Listen, cherries, don't you leave me danglin' in the wind out there!"

Jak glared at Sig. "Let's do it!"

* * *

Sig blasted the last of Metal-Head with the awesome destructive powers of the Peacemaker. Sig saluted the last Metal-Head as it died and fell into the polluted ocean.

"Boom, baby!" Sig exclaimed. "Home team, five; Metal-Heads, nothing!" Sig glanced at Jak. "Now, that was the last one. You go tell Krew we've got 'em all cooked and canned. I'm gonna collect the trophies and clean Peacemaker." Sig smiled at Jak. "Ya did good, rookie."

Jak nodded and walked away. "How many skull-gems do we have?"

"Twenty-eight." Daxter said after counting said skull-gems.

"Great. Let's go visit the Oracle." Jak said, walking across the sandy beach, through the security door, and back into the Water Slums of Haven City. Jak instantly stole the closest zoomer and rushed as fast as he could to the Shrine hut of the Precursor Oracle.

Once there, he stormed through the door. The Oracle's eyes lit up as it seemed to wake up. "Greetings, Great Warrior." It rumbled.

"I have the twenty-five skull-gems." Jak said as he lay the gems down in front of the Oracle.

"Good." The Oracle boomed. "I promised you control, and now I shall give it too you. But with control, I give you advice."

"What?"

"You were once our only hope. It was believed that, if you couldn't save us, then no one could. But now that you carry the weight of Darkness and pain on your shoulders, you alone cannot save us. Our last hope still rests with one still untouched by pain, a pure soul, and you must protect this young soul in our moment of truth. All will be made clear to you as the ending gives birth to the beginning in the Great Circle of Time."

"I don't understand." Jak said.

"I know." The Oracle rumbled. "But when the time is right, you will understand." It paused. "I will now grant you control over your Dark Powers." Daxter wisely got off Jak's shoulder. The Oracle growled loudly and a beam of Dark Eco shot out of the Oracle's snout and hit Jak in the chest.

He was lifted in to the air by the pure, raw power of Dark Eco; he writhed and screamed. It felt just as bad as the Dark Eco torture that he had endured for two years. Slowly, Dark began to emerge, pale skin and hair, pitch black eyes, horns, claws, and fangs. Finally, the Dark beam stopped and Jak fell back to the ground, the transformation complete. The Dark demon glanced around slowly, as though confused. Slowly, he raised his own hand and studied the claws that grew out of the end of his fingers.

"Jak…" The Oracle boomed, and the creature looked up. "You now have control over your actions while you are in your Dark form. But that control will only last as long as you want it to." The monster stared at the Oracle and growled, apparently, it couldn't speak any normal language. "As long as you will your mind to remain during a transformation, you will be yourself, however, the real demon is still in there, ready to take over at the first chance it gets. Always be wary of this."

It took about half a minute, and then Jak began to change back to normal. Within in seconds, he was normal again. "I… I remember everything!" Jak exclaimed.

"Yes. Beware, though. Now you will remember the faces of the ones that you hurt and kill." The Oracle warned. "Now you must wait for my next summons. It might come any time, so be ready to answer at a moment's notice, for there is very little time… too little time for my liking."

"What do you think we are?" Daxter demanded. "We can't come running at your every single whim!"

"What you are?" The Oracle went silent for several seconds. "You are the hope for the entire planet, Great Warrior. You must be ready for the trials that lie ahead."

"What trials?" Jak asked.

"The trails that you were born to perform." The Oracle answered. "Everything leads up to them and you will either fail and plunge this world into Darkness or you will prevail and become even greater than Mar was."

"I've heard about this 'Mar' guy." Jak said. "Who is he?"

"He was a young man who founded Haven City over five-hundred years ago and became its first King." The Oracle explained. "He earned his title of 'hero' for many great deeds that have been passed down through the lore and legend of Haven. His line ruled up until three years ago when the good King disappeared and Praxis easily over threw the unstable government. With the King gone… Haven was only asking to be toppled. The Queen couldn't stop this and disappeared shortly after Praxis' coup, as did their young Prince, later recovered."

"Overthrowing local royalty?" Jak mused. "Sounds like the Baron's always been a bast…" Jak paused, unsure of whether the Oracle would stand that sort of language. "A… an evil man." Jak finished awkwardly.

The Oracle didn't say anything further. Slowly, Jak sensed the presence of the Oracle leave the room, and the wise golden statue became nothing but a statue. Jak sighed.

"Wow, this sounds like some pretty heavy stuff." Daxter said. "He's, like, saying that the fate of the ENTIRE world rests on your shoulders!"

"Not again." Jak hissed. "This is great. The weight of the world on MY shoulders again… that added to your weight."

"Hey!" Daxter said after several seconds when he realized that he had been insulted. Jak ignored his Ottsel friend and walked out of the hut.


	19. So Close!

Jak walked into the Hip Hog Saloon to find Krew studying several trophies on his wall. "I have a proposition for you, Jak." Krew said. "Racing is the biggest sport in the City. Erol…" Jak growled at the name. "…is the undisputed Grand Champion. He's crazy and dangerous on the track." Krew laughed. "My kind of guy." The floating blob floated over to Jak so that he was only a few inches from his face. "Only a fool would dare race against him, eh!" Jak gagged as the foul smell assaulted his nose. "And that's where you come in. A client of mine, the manager of the Bease Racing Team, finds herself in need of a racer. The poor girl has had to deal with all sorts of bad luck. First, Bease's murder in his own garage, and then the death of her racer, Tigran, on the track."

"She's a girl?" Jak asked. During the time he had spent in Haven City, it seemed that women were considered somewhat 'second-class.'

"Yes, she is the first ever female manager of a Racing Team in Haven's history, and she's damn good at what she does." Krew said. "Anyway, I promised her that I would keep a look out for potential racers. I think that you would make a great racer. Small build… light and speedy, daredevil personality…" Krew picked up a small security pass and a stack of papers. "Here's a pass to get you into the Stadium section of the City, and your… contract, with just a few trifles for me." Jak reached out to grab the papers, but Krew didn't hand it over. "I've already signed your name to save time." Krew tossed the papers aside and Daxter caught them.

He began reading. "We, the racers, hereby agree give Krew all proceeds from race earnings, endorsement fees, vehicle sponsorships, broadcast royalties, syndication residuals, mall appearance fees, collectable card assets, fast food tie-ins, all print rights including book, novella, comic, ticker tape, neon signs, and bathroom graffiti designs…" He paused, took a breath, and continued. "Toy lines, shoe lines, mood rings, game rights…" Daxter paused at this and took a double take. "GAME RIGHTS?" Then he continued. "City kick-back, movie deals, and… of course, all death and dismemberment accident insurance claims."

Krew laughed. "We can work out the tiny details later. If you can get from here to the race garage in less than three minutes, my client said she would consider you for her team."

"Sounds good…" Daxter began, but Jak stopped him.

The Dark Elf pointed an accusing finger at Krew. "We're not doing anything until you tell us why the Metal-Heads are trading with the Baron's forces." Jak growled.

"I should've had you both knee-capped, eh!" Krew threatened. "All I know is that the Baron cut a desperate deal with the Metal-Head Leader! Metal-Heads need Eco, so the Baron supplies them with regular shipments. In return, the Metal-Heads agreed to only attack the City just enough to satisfy the Baron's continued rule."

Jak snorted. "Yeah, but how long can that deal last?"

"Well, the Baron's running short on Eco, eh, and the Metal-Heads are short on patience!" Krew said. "Baron Praxis NEEDS this war to keep in power. Otherwise, the City would put the true ruler on the throne… wherever that little brat is…" Krew added in an undertone.

"Fine, then, Daxter and I will meet your client." Jak said, walking out.

"Three minutes!" Krew reminded him as he walked out.

There was a zoomer parked out front, the one-seater speedy type. Jak jumped on, started the engine, and took off for the Stadium…

* * *

(Stadium)

Jak pulled up to the Stadium with thirty seconds to spare. He hopped off the zoomer and quickly headed towards Garage Three. The large metallic doors opened as he approached. Jak stepped into the Garage; at first glance, it appeared to be empty.

"Uh… hello?" Jak called out. "Krew said someone was looking for a race driver?"

"I'm busy right now." A female voice called back out to him. Jak looked around for the source of the voice. The voice came from behind a thick curtain at the end of the room. All Jak could see of the woman was her silhouette, and the Dark Elf couldn't help but stare at the shadow of this woman, or more specifically, her curves. "You must be Krew's new 'errand boys.' Don't get me wrong, you did get here fast enough… but I'm too busy to hire new drivers right now, and I've got a lot of work to do."

Jak leaned up against one of the many busted zoomers that littered the garage. "Is there anything we can do?" He asked, making his voice slightly deeper in an attempt to sound more 'mature.'

Behind the curtain, the girl, which happened to be Keira, rolled her eyes. She had spent enough time with Tigran before he died to know when someone was trying to flirt with her. The nerve of some people, flirting with random women… hell, he didn't even know her! But, still, the last thing she needed was his help for she was still working on the Rift Rider, she moved in front of the vehicle, trying vainly to block the shadow it cast on the curtain. "Ah… no… I'm working on a secret ah… 'vehicle project'."

"Okay, sorry." The man sounded offended.

"Listen…" Keira continued. "If you think you have the GUTS to race in this City, try taking my prototype JetBoard out on the Stadium challenge." She leaned up against the Rift Rider, completely unaware that this particular position really showed off her curves. "Beat the Stadium Challenge then MAYBE I'll consider you for my team."

Outside the curtain, Jak wasn't listening to a single word she said. _Oh sweet Precursors…_ He thought as he stared at the curvy silhouette. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened until they couldn't possibly get any bigger. Jak didn't even notice when Daxter waved a paw in front of his face. His left eye twitched.

To tell the truth, Daxter was amused by his best friend's reaction to this girl. In all the time Daxter had known him, he had never seen Jak out-right flirt with ANYONE! As Jak continued to stand in one spot, completely dumbfounded. Finally, the furry sidekick took pity on his friend and gave him a good smack across the head.

"Ow." Jak said automatically, more out of surprise than actual pain. Then he realized that he was standing in the same place like an idiot. The young elf took one last look at the girl before quickly walking out. Once they were safely out of ear-shot, Daxter broke his unusual silence.

"Now what the hell was all that about?" He demanded. "I'm the one who flirts outrageously with women! You're the quiet, non-flirting type."

Jak turned red. "I don't know where that came from, honestly!" He defended himself. "One moment I was fine, and the next…"

"It was lust, wasn't it? You got all lusty, huh?" Daxter demanded, Jak didn't answer, which was all the answer that Daxter needed. "Jak, the 'Goodie-Two-Shoes' of Sandover, capable of lust? Sandover wouldn't believe it…"

"I don't think they'd believe that I'm on the run for over a hundred counts of murder! I don't think that would make me a 'Goodie-Two-Shoes'." Jak snapped back.

"Okay… sorry for asking." Daxter said, backing off the topic instantly. Daxter could tell the subject had been put on Jak's 'Don't Talk About This Or Else' list.

The entrance to the Stadium was on the other side of the Stadium. The door was always open and when he walked in, the Stadium was arranged like a skate park. There was a small ramp leading down to the ground level of the Stadium. At the bottom there was a rack with a single object in it, obviously the JetBoard. Jak picked it up and stared at it stupidly. There was absolutely nothing to keep him from falling off.

Suddenly, the Jak's TalkBox activated. "Don't you know how to ride a JetBoard?" The woman's voice asked.

Jak looked up. There was no picture, audio only. "How did you get this number?" Jak asked.

"Krew gave it to me." She answered.

Jak growled loudly. If Krew was giving out his number, it could easily fall into the wrong hands. "I'll have to fix that." Jak said quietly to himself.

"So, do you know how to ride a JetBoard or not?" The woman asked again.

For a second, Jak considered lying, but that would get him nowhere fast, not to mention a whole lot of embarrassment when he fell on his ass trying to stay on the stupid thing. "No." He answered finally.

"Great." The woman said sarcastically. "It could take hours to teach you."

"Don't worry, I'm a quick learner." Jak said.

* * *

Let's just say that Jak did learn extremely quickly and he easily beat the stadium challenge. Jak walked back into the Garage. "We beat the Stadium Challenge."

"Great, people do get lucky." The woman said with very little enthusiasm. "Listen, don't you have someone to collect money from, or beat up, or something?"

"You don't like us, do you?" Jak asked.

"You work for that Slime-ball, Krew." The woman said. "What's not to like?"

Jak walked over to the Trophy case, studying the many metal trophies, all made out to Bease Racing and some guy named 'Tigran.' "It looks like your team has won quite a few races." Jak observed casually. "Isn't it true the City Champion gets to tour the Palace?"

"Yeah…" Keira said, behind the curtain. She looked at the curtain. _What's this guy getting at?_ "Why?"

"Could you get me into the Palace?" The guy asked casually.

Keira rolled her eyes. _Great, a Baron-worshipper._ "A friendly visit, I gather." Keira spat.

"Yeah, I'm a real _fan_ of the Baron." The guy spat right back, his voice full of sarcasm.

_Okay, so maybe this guy's okay._ She tried to peer though the curtain, but it was too thick. _I wonder if this guy's as hot as he sounds?_ She thought without thinking. She mentally slapped herself. _No! Think of Jak!_ She reminded herself. "Okay." Keira said. "I'll help you out if you stop bothering me! I once saw an old elevator at the base of one of the Palace's support towers. That old lift might get you up to the Palace if you can find a way to turn on the elevator's power."

"Thanks for your help." Jak said, but not really meaning it at all. He turned and walked out.

Once they were out of earshot, Daxter spoke up. "Is it just me, or goes she sound familiar?"

"Of coarse she sounded familiar!" Jak snapped. "Everything in this god-awful City is familiar!"

Daxter stared at his friend. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Jak glanced at Daxter. In response, he walked over to one of the statues of Mar. There was a strange symbol carved into the base. He knelt down and ran a hand over the symbol. "I know this symbol. It's as familiar to me as Sandover and I know it. It's like something from a dream. But I've never been to a City before, let alone this City. How could I know this symbol?"

"That's just it! You've never been here before. So don't worry about it. You're just getting all paranoid again."

Jak sighed. "You're right." He took his hand off the symbol. "I haven't been thinking straight since I got here. This whole City…" Jak shook his head.

"Don't worry, buddy, it's driving me insane too." Daxter said.

Suddenly, the TalkBox activated. Torn's face appeared on the screen. "Jak, where are you?"

"The Stadium." Jak answered.

"Well, get back to the Hideout. I've got a job for you." Torn's face disappeared as he disconnected.

"Thank the Precursors." Jak said, thankful for anything to get his mind off the situation. He promptly stole a nearby zoomer and headed off towards the Slums and the Underground Hideout.

* * *

Jak walked into the Hideout, Torn was pacing. Torn looked up at Jak as he approached. "One of my old guard comrades was sent to the Pumping Station." Daxter jumped on the table and began to make stupid faces at Torn, who apparently didn't notice. "There's been no word for the Patrol, and after what you two ran into out there, I'm afraid she may need some help."

Jak looked up at Torn in surprise. "Did you just say 'she'?"

Torn glared at Jak. "Don't even think about it!" He hissed. Then he looked around Jak at Daxter, who was blowing a silent raspberry his way. "Stop that!" Torn yelled at Daxter, who pulled his tongue back into his mouth. "This is serious, you moron!"

Jak lashed out to slap Daxter upside the head, but he dodged Jak's hand. "Ha!" Daxter laughed, pointing at Jak. "Getting a little slow, are we? That's right! Don't mess with the sugar!" Jak rolled his eyes.

"This 'friend' of mine has helped the Underground many times before." Torn said. "Go out to the Pumping Station and render assistance if needed." Daxter mockingly saluted Torn. "Now get your squirrelly ass out of here!" He ordered.

Daxter blew another raspberry at Torn. Jak grabbed Daxter roughly around the neck and walked out.


	20. The Krimzon Guard Hag

Jak pulled out the Blaster weapon as he walked onto the sandy beaches of the Pumping Station. The last time he had come there, he was attacked by small type Metal-Heads. Now the beach was infested with bigger and stronger looking Metal-Heads. The larger type walked around on four pointed legs, stood nine feet tall, and had a Dark Eco weapon attached to its right arm. These monsters looked slow, but powerful.

The other type was a species called 'Grunts.' Jak had met these creatures before. Their name told you everything you needed to know about their fighting-style. They tended to attack first, and then decide what to do when they got there. Jak could easily pick them off with the Blaster weapon from a distance.

"Jak, watch out for those Crab-Heads!" Daxter warned.

"Why?" Jak asked.

"They may look really slow and stupid, but they are really fast and cunning. Don't underestimate them!"

Jak glanced back at the Crab-Heads. They lumbered around clumsily; it was hard to believe that they were fast or cunning. Then he had a sudden suspension. "It's an act." He whispered to himself. "They play dumb and helpless, but the moment you let down your guard… it's too late…"

"Please be careful!" Daxter whispered.

Jak quietly walked up to a large piece of rubble that had been left over from their last trip. _That Peacemaker was really powerful._ Jak thought to himself. _I'd love to get my hands on one of those._ He peeked around the corner and watched as a Grunt growled at the Crab-Head. The Crab-Head reacted instantly, whirling around with a speed that Jak didn't think possible for such a large creature. The Crab-Head lifted up one of its four legs and stepped on the offending Grunt. Unfortunately for the Grunt, the Crab-Head's legs were sharp and razor-tipped, successfully impaling the Grunt.

"Another day in the Grand Metal-Head army, huh?" Jak snorted. "These creatures remind me of the Baron, killing people without any real cause."

"Kind of like someone else I know." Daxter said quietly. Jak didn't react on the outside, but on the inside he growled.

Jak flipped on the laser-sight of the Blaster. "It took one Peacemaker shot to take those Crab-Heads out." He said. "How many Blaster shots is that?"

"No clue." Daxter responded.

Jak sighed. "Fine. I'll wing it. Like I always do."

"I hate winging it." Daxter complained.

"Be quiet!" Jak ordered quietly. He looked out form behind the rubble again and aimed the Blaster at the monster Metal-Head. The laser-sight was centered on the creature's chest, over where its heart should be. Jak fingered the trigger and the Crab-Head stopped pacing and sniffed the air, as if it could sense Jak's presence. Then, Jak squeezed the trigger and a single bullet hit the creature's chest and… ricocheted.

The Metal-Head didn't take kindly to being shot at. It spun around and charged the rubble behind which Jak hide. The creature raised its Dark Eco weapon and fired. The rubble from Jak's head and above was destroyed instantly in a flash of Dark Eco light.

Lucky thing that Daxter ducked just as the shot was fired, or he would've quickly lost his head… literally. "That worked out great!" Daxter managed to spit out before the rubble was picked up and thrown aside by the Metal-Head.

It snarled as a sharp front leg shot forward to impale Jak just as it had the unlucky Grunt. Thankfully, Jak's own lightning-quick reflexes saved him. He dodged out of the way, and the Crab-Head just as quickly renewed its attack. It raised its weapon and fired a destructive bolt of Dark Eco right at Jak's chest. Jak rolled out of the way just in time before the Dark Eco hit him. Jak had just a split second so he raised his Blaster, fired, and the bullet ricocheted yet again!

The monster roared and charged, swiping at Jak with razor-sharp forelegs in an attempt to take off Jak's head. Jak jumped backwards and fired at the Metal-Head again, praying to the Precursors that his bullet would find the monster's weak spot.

Suddenly the creature stopped, dumbfounded. Jak's bullet had, indeed found its mark, hitting the Metal-Head right in the eye, and penetrating the living brain behind.

The creature gave a roar and fell to the ground. Jak walked over and put the gun right up to the Metal-Head's face, and shot again, just to be sure. The armor may have protected the Metal-Head from long-range attacks, put it stood no chance against a short-range, Yellow Eco-powered slug. The monster's head blew up, painting the sand a disgusting mix of green Metal-Head blood and grayish-purple brain matter.

"Let's move." Jak said, picking up the skull-gem, which was all that was left of the head.

"Fine by me." Daxter said. "Let's get out of here."

Jak walked over to the nearby machinery and rode up the small elevator to the top. He scanned around for more Metal-Heads but there were no creatures worth mentioning. The way used to be blocked by a large tanker, but Sig had destroyed it, a testament to the awesome powers of the Peacemaker. Jak walked down the walkway, ever alert, and forever scanning for the enemy, but the lack of Metal-Heads deeply disturbed him. "Why aren't there any Metal-Heads?" Jak asked as they reached the end of the walkway.

"Don't worry about that stuff." Daxter said. "Be grateful that you don't have to fight any Metal-Heads." Jak jumped across a series of stepping-stones over to a bunch of metal platforms. As soon as he stepped on them, they began to rotate. At first, Jak wondered why people would go though the trouble of making a rotating platform. Then it occurred to him… Metal-Heads. The spinning would probably confuse the Metal-Heads.

Jak, however, was smarter than that. He moved up the rotating platforms without a problem.

At the top, there was a small elevator leading to a place he had never been.

Jak moved down the small path. There was a small clearing at the top. The only thing to be seen was a strange rock formation with that strange symbol that Jak noted earlier embedded in the face, and a Krimzon Guard vehicle.

"What the heck are we doing risking our lives to rescue some old Krimzon Guard hag anyway?" Daxter demanded while leaping off Jak's shoulder as he inspected the vehicle for signs of life. Daxter began to scratch behind his ear with his own hind-leg. "She's probably got more facial hair than me!"

What happened next happened to quickly for even Jak to react. Someone jumped down from the trees and instantly got the jump on him, got him in a headlock, and put a gun against his head, ready to blow his brains out. "Who the hell are you two?" The woman, for it was a woman, demanded. Jak raised his hands in the universal sign of 'I surrender.'

Daxter saw the woman and instantly got frisky. Jak figured she must be at least mildly hot. He couldn't tell, because he couldn't see the woman in question. "Mmm… I do love a woman in uniform!" Daxter said flirtatiously. Daxter saluted. "Wanna bark some orders at me? Woof! Woof!" Daxter than jumped on Jak's chest, so he was right in the woman's face. "I'm your soldier on the front lines of luuuve!" Daxter leapt to the ground again. "Oh, waiter! Foxhole for two!"

"Keep talking, and I'll raise your voice a couple octaves." The woman released her hold on Jak and pointed the gun at Daxter.

Jak got his first look at his attacker. His first thought was that she defiantly didn't have any facial hair. She looked only slightly older than himself. Her hair was red and done in dread-locks. She wore Krimzon Guard-like appeal, though her clothes proved that she wasn't exactly modest, as the uniform left very little to the imagination. She looked as tough as nails and she had the look of someone who could handle herself in a firefight. "Easy…" Jak said before this woman blew off Daxter's head. "Torn sent us to help you."

The woman scoffed. "When will Torn learn that I can handle myself?" She asked herself. "Listen, I appreciate you guys coming out here, but I don't need any help." He put her pistol back in its holster on her thigh. But then she looked over Jak's shoulder and pulled the pistol back out. "But you might need help. We've got company." She nodded past his shoulder.

Jak looked around and instantly pulled out the Blaster weapon. There were at least three-dozen Metal-Heads, Crab-Heads and Grunts, dropping down into the clearing from the platform above.

Jak had never fought more than four of five Metal-Heads at a time, and he rarely walked away without spilling some of his own blood.

The woman began shooting at the Metal-Heads, mostly concentrating on the Grunts, whose armor wasn't strong enough to repel the bullets.

Jak rushed into battle, mainly concentrating on the Crab-Heads. His enhanced agility and speed allowed him to jump in fast, shot the Metal-Head at close range, and dodge before the Crab-Head could retaliate.

Jak had killed several Metal-Heads this way when he suddenly felt an enormous pain erupt from left side. Jak glanced down and gasped when he saw that his side was cut open, giving him a sickeningly clear view of his own insides. It seemed that a Crab-Head had snuck up on him while he was busy with another and had used its wicked front legs to open up Jak's side.

However, in the tiny second that Jak stared at his wound a Grunt jumped at him and forced the injured elf to the ground, his Blaster falling out of his hands and out of reach. "Jak!" He thought he heard someone yell before the Metal-Heads engulfed him.

The pain! They bit, scratched, and gnawed on every inch of his body that they could reach. Jak could only grit his teeth against the pain of being eaten alive.

Suddenly, something else rose from the dark depths of Jak's mind, the creature of rage. Now the pain of getting eaten was doubled, added to the pain of the Dark transformation. Jak could not help a cry that escaped his lips.

A field of Dark Eco, usually the last thing to arrive, showed up first. A type of Dark energy field surrounded Jak like a weak shield and the Metal-Heads gave cry in surprise at this new development. Jak roared in agony as horns sprouted painfully from his forehead and claws grew from the tips of his fingers. Fangs grew in his mouths, painfully pushing other teeth aside. His skin paled, as did his hair until both were a deathly white. His eyes opened just as the pupils expanded, leaving nothing of Jak's blue eyes, only endless black.

Instantly, the pain of various wounds faded. Jak, who was aware of himself and somewhat in control, looked down and saw that the minor bite wounds were being healed, but the bigger wounds, such as the one on his side, was left untouched. Quite odd, but Jak could feel the pain. He jumped up from the ground, cackling with Dark energy. Dark Jak grinned and roared a challenge at the Metal-Heads, who backed off in fear. Dark Jak's evil grin widened.

* * *

Outside, and before Jak's transformation, Daxter could only watch in horror as his injured best friend was crocadog-piled by Metal-Heads. "Jak!" Daxter yelled desperately. The Metal-Heads slithered over one another in an attempt to get to their prey. For a second, Daxter thought he heard an anguished cry, one that could only come from an Elvin throat. The strange Krimzon Guard woman was too busy trying to defend herself from Metal-Heads to even think about coming to Jak's aid.

Another cry erupted from under the pile. Suddenly the Metal-Heads seemed to back off and Daxter saw the reason why. The monsters parted and Daxter got an eyeful of a Dark Demon, still covered in many wounds. The Dark Demon roared a challenge and smiled at the look of fear in the Metal-Heads. Suddenly, the Dark Monster sprang into action.

It jumped at the first two Metal-Heads and bisected them with a single swipe of its claws. "Jak!" Daxter cried out.

The Demon, upon hearing the voice, turned and faced Daxter. Then Daxter regretted it, he wasn't even sure if his best friend had it under control. It growled and charged Daxter. The rat almost cried out as the Demon grabbed him. However, instead of slicing him, the monster picked him up carefully and placed him on his shoulder.

"Jak?" Daxter repeated, just to be sure.

The Demon growled in affirmation. They were slowly getting surrounded by the Metal-Heads. But Dark Jak wasn't worried. It fact, he was grinning.

Dark Jak snarled at his opponents and the Metal-Heads shifted uncomfortably as if they understood him. Suddenly, Dark Jak leapt up into the air and brought his fist down into the ground. A Dark Eco shock wave rippled from his body, wiping out the Metal-Heads almost instantly.

The woman looked up just in time to see the shock wave heading right at her. "Holy…" She yelled as she dived for cover, the shock wave passing harmlessly over her. All the Metal-Heads were gone, and every last ounce of Eco was driven from his body.

Slowly, the effects of the transformation wore off. The horns, fangs, and claw receded to their normal size, and his skin, hair, and eyes returned back to their natural color. But, as soon as he was back to normal, Jak let out a cry and fell to his knees. His hands were holding his side, which had a nasty looking wound. Regular red blood, no Dark Eco, gushed in torrents from the wound.

"Jak! Heal!" Daxter ordered.

Jak was starting to turn pale again, but this time from blood loss. "Can't." He gasped. "No Dark Eco."

The woman rushed over. "What's wrong?"

"He's wounded!" Daxter cried.

"Dark… Eco…" Jak gasped.

"Oh my Precursors! Did he get hit by that shock wave?" The woman demanded. "Does he have Eco Poisoning?"

"Of coarse he doesn't have Eco Poisoning!" Daxter yelled. "We need to get him some Dark Eco… fast!"

"Dark Eco?" The woman looked around. "Well these monsters are oozing tones of it."

"We need to get him to the Dark Eco." Daxter explained.

The woman clearly didn't understand, but she bent down and helped Jak up. She helped the near unconscious elf to the carcass of a Crab-Head, which oozed Dark Eco. When they got there, Jak fell to his knees again and reached into the Dark substance. "What the hell?" The woman yelled. "What are you…?"

"Don't worry, lady." Daxter assured her. "Jak knows what he's doing."

Jak grabbed a handful of the evil substance, flinching slightly as it burnt his skin. He began to rub it all over the wound on his side, he growled as the evil substance entered his bloodstream. His wound began to heal, but one handful wasn't nearly enough to close the wound. So he grabbed another handful… and another. Soon his skin looked as if it had never been viciously slashed open. The only evidence of the wound was the large hole in his skirt.

"How did you…?" The woman began, staring at the unmarred flesh.

Jak stood up, color rushing back to his face as the Dark Eco replenished his blood supply. "I… I'd rather not talk about it." Jak looked away.

"You're the man Praxis is looking for, aren't you?" The woman asked. Jak didn't answer. This woman was a Krimzon Guard, after all. "Don't worry. I won't turn you in. I don't need the Eco, and none of my loved ones are in prison at the moment."

Then Jak decided that it was safe to answer. "Yes. I'm Jak. And you're right in assuming that I'm the man Praxis is looking for."

"Then can you answer me one question?" She asked.

"Depends."

"Why is my… Praxis looking for you. I've never seen him so intent on capturing a single person, not even the Shadow."

Jak didn't answer at first. "Let's just say that I'm extremely valuable and leave it at that."

The woman nodded, though clearly not satisfied with Jak's answer. She walked back over to her vehicle. Jak and Daxter followed. Daxter began to flirt with her some more. "Watching me take care of those Metal-Heads was pretty… 'exciting,' wasn't it, sugar?" The woman in question turned on the engine of the vehicle and the anti-gravity force threw Daxter back. "Hey! Sweet strips!" Daxter yelled, referring to the tattoos on the woman's face. "Gimme those digits so I can look you up sometime! We'll party hard! Big city style!"

The woman ignored Daxter and looked at Jak. "Tell Torn that Baron Praxis is planning something big. I think it has something to do with that seal." She pointed at the strange symbol embedded in the rock face.

"What is it?" Jak asked.

"It's the Seal of the House of Mar, the founder of Haven City." The woman answered. "We're being sent out on suicide missions to locate artifacts from the time of Mar's rule." The woman got in the driver's seat. "If you believe that curiosity's worth dying for, you can ask the blind old soothsayer in the Bazaar named Onin. She may know something about all this." She pulled out a small security pass. "Here's my Bazaar access security pass." She tossed it to him, and he caught it.

Jak flipped open the pass and read the name. "So your name's Ashelin, huh?"

"We're even now." She said. The woman, Ashelin, flew off into the sunset.

"Wow! What a woman!" Daxter exclaimed before growling softly. Jak laughed half-heartedly. (It's hard to find anything funny when you have a near-death experience.) He picked up his friend and walked out.


	21. The Soothsayer

The pass that the duo received from Ashelin opened the yellow force field, which blocked the Bazaar from the rest of Haven City. The new area was significantly different from the rest of Haven City. First off, zoomers were not allowed in the actual area. The only way for someone to pass with a zoomer was to use the crowded highway, which ran though the center. Going full speed on this 'highway' was suicide as it was easy to crash into other vehicles. Even Jak, the speed demon, had to slow down to follow traffic.

He was not happy about this. Then again, Jak hadn't been really happy in two years. "Damn traffic!" Jak swore as he nearly ran into the bad of some law-abiding slummer's zoomer. "Get out of the way!" Jak yelled. The driver in question ignored Jak's yells. The Dark Elf growled and reached for the blaster that was strapped to his back.

Daxter, however, stopped him. "No one knows road rage until they've met you." He said. "Calm down. We'll get there eventually."

So Jak resumed sulking, waiting almost patiently for the traffic to move so that he could go see this 'Onin'. Finally, Jak got sick with the whole situation. He got off the zoomer, left it in the middle of the highway, and walked towards the edge. When he got there he leapt over the edge and landed safely on the ground ten feet below.

"Uh… yeah… walking is much faster anyway." Daxter said over the yells of the various civilians back on the highway, angry that there was an abandoned zoomer blocking the way.

"Which way?" Jak asked, looking around.

Daxter gazed around also, trying to get a bearing of where they were. "Uh… they say the Soothsayer's tent is over… that way." Daxter pointed.

Jak suddenly realized, as people stared at him, how much he stood out with a huge hole in the side of his shirt. He quickly walked over to a street vendor, grabbed a sort of trench coat, and walked away.

"Uh… Jak?" Daxter said. "You do realize that you just stole that."

Jak shook his head. "Dax, I'm already on the run for countless murders, prison-break, and joining an Underground resistance. I'm sure that Baron isn't going to care that I stole one trench coat." Jak said, putting it on. It fit reasonably well for Jak just walking up and taking the first one he saw.

Daxter sighed. He was constantly amazed how much Jak had changed. All his old childhood morals seemed to have all gone to hell.

Jak noticed the look on Daxter's face and he sighed. "Dax… I hate to tell you this, but it's the honest to the Precursors truth. Jak of Sandover died in prison. And this… pitiful… cruel joke…" He pointed at himself. "Is all that's left of him."

"That's too bad." Daxter said. "Cause we could really use him right now." There was silence for several seconds before… "Look, Jak! It's Onin's tent!"

It was a shabby little thing. It reminded Jak of the Oracle's hut, however. Very little to be said about the outside, but a mighty power within. "Do you know about this 'Onin'?" Jak asked.

"Nope, never seen her before. She's supposed to be good though. She can, like, see into the future and stuff."

"Hmm." Was Jak's only reply as he walked into the tent. He was instantly greeted by the sickly sweet smell of burning incense. An extremely old and frail woman, possibly Onin, sat cross-legged on the floor. Strangely, she wore what resembled a large bowl on her head. Her eyes were closed, like she was asleep.

Daxter's voice caught Jak's attention. "Cool! Check out all the dead stuff!" He said, poking a moncaw that was hanging form the ceiling.

Jak could hear the creature breathing and even the faint heartbeat. "Dax, that's not…" But it was too late. The moncaw woke up and bit Daxter on the finger. "Ow!" Daxter cried, sticking his injured finger in his mouth.

"Touch the goods again, rat-boy, and you'll be ARRRK counting with your toes!" The moncaw squawked with a rather thick accent. The creature let go of its perch, flew over to the woman, and landed in the bowl on her head. "I am Pecker!" The moncaw announced. Jak couldn't help but grin and laugh slightly. Daxter elbowed Jak lightly and grinned boyishly. They were both thinking the same thing. Why would anyone name his or her child after a slang term for…? Pecker noticed the looks on their faces. "Yes, yes, I know. My mother… she was… very vindictive. I, however, am Onin's interpreter."

The woman's eyes opened as if on cue, and just as quickly, Jak gasped. Her eyes were milky white… she was blind. The old woman began to use some sort of mystic sign language and Jak felt an unfamiliar wave of pity. She was mute too? Jak knew firsthand how horrible and disabling it was to have muteness, but Jak always had his eyes. To be both blind and mute… Jak couldn't even imagine it.

Pecker began translating the strange sign language. "Onin welcomes you, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah… the usual boring salutations…" Pecker paused as he watched the dancing lights. "She says it is good to see you again, Jak."

Jak didn't even bother to ask about the 'see' comment. Instead he was more concerned that this woman claimed to have met him before, and she even knew his name. How could she when he had never even been to Haven City in his life? "But we've never met before." Jak pointed out.

"Before… after… it is all the same." Pecker translated.

"Oh! Oh! Let me try!" Daxter cried out suddenly and Pecker fell silent. "She wants a Yakkow bone! A Yakkow bladder? No! Wait! I've got it! For many moons…" Daxter threw his hand in front of Jak's face, causing him to go cross-eyed for the slightest second. "She has… waited for… a juice pop? A jewel shop? Oh! She's got a hairball! A hair-lip? A hairy chest?"

"Close…" Pecker interrupted. "But no! Onin said that she wants you to perform a special task for her."

Jak glared at the woman, even though he was sure she couldn't see him. "Listen, lady, I don't have time for any of this fortune-teller crap! I've got better things to do…" Jak turned to leave.

"It's annoying, isn't it?" Pecker's voice followed him, clearly translating what Onin was signing. "Six whole years of your life… nothing but empty space." Jak paused at the tent entrance, his hands clenching into fists until his fingernails drew blood.

He turned around. "How did you know that?" He demanded.

"Six long years… and the only things you have are scattered, meaningless memories and emotions." Pecker translated. Jak stared at Onin. _How can she know this?_ He wondered. _I haven't even told Daxter that I don't remember my past!_ "Sandover was your earliest memory, so you believe that is your home."

"Sandover is my home!" Jak said stubbornly, not even bothering trying to figure out how she knew that he was from Sandover. She seemed to know everything about him already. It was unsettling.

"Wrong." Pecker translated. "Sandover is a place where you once lived. But it is not your birthplace, nor is it your home. Your origins and your destiny lie elsewhere."

Silence for several seconds, finally… "How do you know these things?" Jak asked.

"Onin says that she knows a great many things." Pecker said. Onin smiled, and it sent shivers down Jak's spine. "So, now, Onin wants you to collect three items from the Precursor mountain temple. Not two, not four, three! The lens, the gear, and the Precursor shard, to be precise. Use the gate on the Northwest side of the City and bring back those three artifacts." Jak turned to leave, but Pecker stopped him with more of Onin's rambling signs. "Oh, by the way, Onin also tells you not to pity her, for she has seen things that one could never see with mundane eyes, and that I speak for her. Do not pity her, Jak."

"No way! Jak doesn't pity anyone!" Daxter said. "Maybe pre-prison Jak, but not the post-prison one!"

"Onin says that everyone is capable of showing pity, mercy, and restraint." Pecker translated. "Even fallen angels."

Jak blinked. Had Onin just called him a 'fallen angel'? "Well, that's a new one!" Daxter laughed. "How poetic! Jak the Fallen Angel!" Daxter laughed some more.

_"The Angel lives in Heaven_

_White without a Stain_

_The Angel falls out of Heaven_

_Into a life of Pain_

_The Angel yearns for Heaven_

_But instead is stuck in Hell_

_Will he ever get back to Heaven?_

_Only the Angel can Tell"_

Jak stared at Pecker, who had just translated the strange poem. "Whoa…" Daxter said. "I didn't mean that literally…" Onin smiled that mysterious smile again and Jak shivered violently.

"I'll get your stuff." Jak said, eager to get out of the strange soothsayer's presence. The incense was starting to burn his eyes, so he turned and walked out.

Once they were well out of ear-shot, Daxter spoke up." Did you see her make that poem up… right off the top of her head?"

Jak didn't know how he knew… he just knew. "That poem wasn't made up… it was recited."


	22. Scardy Vin

While Jak was getting artifacts for Onin, Torn was busy also. His 'friend,' Ashelin, had stopped by the Underground hideout. "So, our newest recruit saved you." Torn said, it wasn't a question.

"I didn't need saving, Torn." Ashelin said.

"So, what do you think about him?"

"Who?"

"Jak."

Ashelin took some time for her response. "He's very… strange."

"Tell me about it." Torn said, rolling his eyes. "The very first day he got into the Underground, he nothing short of demanded that I remove all the mirrors."

"Really? Well, I didn't run into any 'mirror' problems." Ashelin said. "What I did see was him getting impaled and eaten by Metal-Heads."

"So he's dead?"

"No."

"What?" Torn demanded. "He got impaled and almost eaten and he's not dead? He should be dead!"

"Well, that's where it got weird. He kept asking for Dark Eco, so I helped him over to a pile of Dark Eco, and then…" Ashelin paused. "He began to rub it all over his wounds."

"Then he really should be dead." Torn said.

"He's not." Ashelin said. "In fact, he's completely better. He was somehow able to use the Dark Eco to heal himself. I've never heard of Dark Eco being used this way. I swear to the Precursors that he smeared that stuff all over his wounds and they healed!"

"Dark Eco can't be used to heal. That goes against its very nature. Dark Eco destroys, it doesn't heal." Torn said.

"Did you also know that he happens to have topped the Shadow himself on Haven's Most Wanted List?" Ashelin asked.

"But… Shadow has been Haven's Most Wanted for years! Ever since King…" Torn started, but he was interrupted.

"Well, now this guy's the Most Wanted Man in Haven City." Ashelin said. "As far as I can tell for well of sixty-some murders and prison break. Father wants him really bad. He's never been so obsessed with the capture of a single man."

"Well, sadly for the Baron, Jak doesn't seem the type of guy to go quietly." Torn said.

"Oh, there's something that I should tell you." Ashelin said. "Recently, my father's strip mine has been attacked by the Metal-Heads."

"The Strip Mine? But… isn't…"

"Yes, Vin's out there." Ashelin said. "Vin may have less courage than a two year old child, but he is valuable to your movement."

"Okay… I'll send the newbies when they get back." Torn said.

"But… don't they need sleep?" Ashelin asked.

"I haven't seen Jak sleep since he arrived here." Torn said. "Says he 'doesn't like sleeping'. Another oddity for you."

Ashelin thought for several seconds. "You know, you should use a mirror on him… see what he's so afraid of us finding out. He's going to remain an enigma until you find out what he's hiding." With that, Ashelin walked out of the base. She had been there long enough already.

* * *

Soon after, Jak walked into the base. Torn looked up, holding a small, hand-held mirror under that table. "One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the Metal-Heads."

"That's not _our_ problem!" Jak hissed.

"It is our problem when the foreman's one of the Underground's informants." Torn hissed right back. "His name's Vin, he's as big a coward as you'll find, but he's just valuable enough to save. Go to the Power Station in South Town and use the Warp Gate to travel out to the Strip Mine and rescues Vin's pathetic hide."

"Hey! Tattooed Wonder! How come we get all the crappy missions?" Daxter demanded.

"Because I don't like you." Torn hissed, pushing Daxter off the table to the ground.

"Fair enough." Daxter said from the ground, giving a thumb's up.

"Whatever deal the Baron made with the Metal-Heads, the City's Eco is almost gone." Torn said gravely. "If we don't get the kid back on the throne soon, there may not be a City left to defend."

"How in the world can a five-year old kid rule a City?" Jak asked, turning away.

Torn saw his chance. Even the rat wasn't looking. Torn wiped out the mirror and aimed it just so he could see Jak's reflection. Torn gasped. Jak wasn't standing there anymore. The green/blonde hair and turned white in the mirror. What he could see of Jak's skin had turned the horribly pale color of death. Just visible from the back was what looked like horns and claw-tipped fingers.

Torn hid the mirror in a flash. Jak, who heard Torn gasp, spun around glaring at Torn accusingly. "So, how can a five-year old kid rule a City?" Jak repeated.

"Uh… well…" Torn shook off his surprise. "The Shadow thinks that the kid is the true heir of Mar, and of the Throne of Haven City. If he is the true ruler, he'll know what to do."

"Well, I think you're all crazy for hanging all your hopes on a little kid who can't be any older than five!" Jak yelled.

"Six." Torn corrected.

"That's not any better!" Jak yelled. "There should be an adult running things!"

"Well, unless the kid magically grows up, we'll have to make due." Torn said.

"So… what's this kid's name?" Jak asked, to change the subject. Little did he know, it would drag him into a whole other debate.

"He doesn't have a name." Torn answered.

"What? Someone must know what it is if he's the Prince!" Jak said.

"You really are clueless." Torn said. "Royalty aren't named until they are six, it's tradition. The King and Queen never had the chance to give him a proper name. Royalty below the age of six are known by title and last name only. Prince Mar… Princess Mar… You get the idea…"

"Yeah… I guess." Jak said uncertainly. "It just doesn't seem right to have a child go nameless until they are six."

"Like I said, it's tradition." Torn said.

"Then why can't you guys name him?" Jak asked. "He's six now. That's old enough to get a proper name."

"We would, except no one wants to take the responsibility of naming the child. We don't know if his parents had a name picked out for him, if they had a name picked out at all. Besides, we went to the Oracle on his sixth birthday to try and discover his true name, but it said 'His name shall be revealed in time'." Torn paused, staring at Jak. He could still see the ghostly image of the pale skin and white hair. "What are you waiting around here for? Go out there and rescue Vin's ass!"

Jak nodded before leaving the briefing room. Once he was gone, Torn pulled out his own personal TalkBox and punched in Ashelin's number. "What is it, Torn?" She asked.

"You won't believe what I just saw." Torn said.

"Is this about Jak?" She asked.

"Yes, I looked at his reflection when he wasn't looking." Torn said.

"And…" Ashelin urged.

"I don't think he's entirely Elvin." Torn said.

* * *

Outside, Jak commandeered a zoomer from a civilian. "Don't you think that Torn was acting a little odd?" Daxter asked.

Jak ignored Daxter's question. "Imagine… living without a name…"

Daxter scoffed. "Well, it's the kid's fault for being born into a family that doesn't name their kids until they're six!"

"Dax, that kid didn't chose his parents any more than you choose yours or I choose mine." Jak said.

"I thought you didn't remember your parents." Daxter pointed out.

"I don't." Jak said. "But I exist, so my parents must've been around at some point."

"Oh yeah… A person can't really exist unless there are two parents." Daxter paused. "I'm sorry, Jak."

Jak nearly ran into another cruiser, he was so shocked by Daxter's statement. "For what?" He asked when he recovered.

"You never knew your parents." Daxter said simply. "And… well… I knew mine. I'm just sorry."

"It's not your fault." Jak said. "Don't worry about it. I could be better off without them. They might've been abusive or neglectful."

Daxter nodded. But he knew that Jak was only saying that to make himself feel better, just like that old 'Lurker and the Grapes' fable.

"That way, Jak." Daxter pointed down a street instead of pursuing the parent issue. Jak turned down the road. The whole way, he had taken the way he would take to get to the Hip Hog, but the Power Station wasn't at the Hip Hog, but it was reasonably close. He stopped at the base of a ramp that led to the upper walkways.

There was a doorway on the upper level that opened as Jak approached it. Inside was a dimly lit room with computer monitors all over the place, modern Precursorian flashing across the screens. The information displayed, however, did not interest Jak in the slightest. Daxter stared at the floating blue holographic ball floating in the middle of the room.

"Pretty…" Daxter breathed.

"Let's just get this over with. Every task I complete gets me closer to the Baron… I can feel it." Jak said.

"Did you also realize that the more you screw up the Baron's plans… not to mention resist arrest, the more he's gonna come after you?" Daxter asked.

"I was the Baron's ultimate weapon." Jak said. "How could he possibly have something more powerful than me?"

"The Baron probably has nothing more terrifying than you." Daxter said. "But don't be too confident in your abilities. You're strong for an elf, I'll give you that. But the Baron has devices that aren't limited by the weaknesses of flesh. Besides… you're dying…"

"In several months." Jak finished. "In a few months, then I'll start to worry." Jak walked over to the Warp Gate and jumped in.

After a second of experiencing the teleporter tingling sensation, Jak landed on the other side. Daxter landed on the ground beside him. The Dark Elf instantly pulled out the blaster. Torn said the area was under attack by Metal-Heads, so you could never be too careful. Jak scanned the area with the laser sight. There was a large Dark Eco pool to his right with what looked like Metal-Head eggs growing out of it. Jak looked up briefly and noted the large crate that hung over head. In fact, there were cranes lifting up heavy stuff all over the place. Jak examined the rest of the area. It appeared to be a dug-out quarry. There were Eco Wells spread around the area. There was a large cable that spread from one end of the quarry to the other, carrying crates of rocks. There was a building on top of the cliffs and the sign 'Power Room' hung over the door.

"I'll bet this 'Vin' guy is in there." Jak said, pointing at the door. "But where are the Metal-Heads? This doesn't seem right."

"Nothing seems right in this screwed up world." Daxter spat. "Remember what happened the last time we didn't see any Metal-Heads?"

"Yeah, I got attacked by a whole mob of them and almost got killed and eaten." Jak said. "Let's not do that again."

"For once, I agree with you." Daxter said. He looked over at the Dark Eco pool. "Hey, how are you on Dark Eco?"

Jak could feel the Dark Eco running though his veins, slowly but surely destroying him as it had so many others. However, Jak pushed that thought out of his mind (it made him sick just to think about it) and answered the question at hand. "About half of what I can hold. Why?"

"Well, that pool has a lot of Dark Eco, why not take a swim? Get your tanks full?"

"No." Jak answered instantly.

"Why not?" Daxter asked.

"Look at that pool. There must be millions of Eco-Units in there. My Dark Eco immunity is the best in the world, but it's not perfect because it's still going to kill me." Jak paused. "I am not immune."

"Oh." Daxter said, finally seeing Jak's point. Jak sighed, raised the blaster slightly so it was in a more 'battle-ready' position and started off into the Strip Mine.

He had only taken a few steps when he was assaulted by a breed of Metal-Head he had never seen before. Unlike the Metal-Heads he had seen previously these were on the small side. Resembling armor-plated scorpions, these small armored creatures carried huge sharp stingers on their tails and they hid underground. They would pop up and attack an enemy before they even realized what happened.

Thankfully for Jak, his reflexes were slightly faster than that of a normal elf. Jak jumped out of the way just as the huge tail embedded itself in the ground where Jak had stood milliseconds earlier.

The Metal-Head pulled its tail out of the hard dirt and went for Jak again.

However, this time, Jak was more prepared for it. In a flash, the Blaster was lowered at the creature and fired. Although he didn't have a lot of time to aim properly, the creature didn't have a lot of armor to begin with. The shot hit the Metal-Head in the area that can only be described as the stomach. It hissed savagely as green blood poured out on the sand and then it died.

As soon as it was over, Jak suddenly fell to his knees, almost as if he didn't have the strength to stand up right.

"Whoa!" Daxter cried out as he lost his footing and fell to the ground beside his friend. Daxter stared over at Jak, who was slowly getting back on his feet. "Jak? Are you alright?" Daxter asked.

"I'm fine." Jak said stubbornly, getting back his balance.

Daxter had been by Jak's side since they were both kids, and Daxter had, as a result, developed a sixth sense to tell if Jak wasn't being entirely truthful. Right now, all those old alarms were going off. Jak was lying. "Are you sure?"

Jak, having regained his balance, picked up his dropped Blaster. "I'm sure. I just… tripped on something." He finished lamely.

Daxter shook his head sadly. _Since when had it come to this? Since when could Jak not admit that something was obviously wrong?_

Jak shook his own head. _Holy crap! What the hell was that?_ It felt like, just for a second, that every ounce of his strength left him. But he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He had a mission to finish' rescue this 'Vin' guy. And he couldn't afford to lose his focus. However… if that strange weakness ever happened in the middle of a fight… he'd probably get ripped to pieces. _Better hope that never happens again._ Jak thought to himself.

He looked up at the self-proclaimed 'Power Room'. It was way up high on a cliff, impossible for even Jak to climb. So that ruled out the 'climb up the cliff face' option. There had to be a better way.

The line of carts moving toward the room caught his eye. He followed the cable to its place of origin. The carts came from another platform high on the cliff face; however, there were stairs that lead to it.

"Bingo." Jak said.

"Was his name-o!"

"Shut up!"

"Sorry."

"I doubt there was only one Metal-Head attacking this place." Jak said, walking closer to the stairs. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have made a big deal over it. I'll admit that the Metal-Heads are formidable and the Krimzon Guards couldn't shot fish in a barrel… but they should be able to handle one lousy Metal-Head."

Daxter then happened to look up the sides of the small dirt mounds that were on either side of them. "Handle one yes. But… how about dozens?"

Jak followed Daxter's gaze. There were at least three to four dozen Metal-Head Grunts, drooling, dumb beasts. But one was considerably different from its companions.

Instead of a large, bulky mass that the Grunts used to over-power their prey, this creature was long and lanky. It stood on its hind legs and stood over seven feet tall. The Grunts all seemed to be waiting for something, staring at the strange Metal-Head. It occurred to Jak that this one was a Metal-Head of high rank or authority.

The creature smiled down at Jak… or bared its fangs at him; Jak couldn't tell which. Suddenly, Jak received quite a surprise. The creature opened its mouth, revealing several layers of needle-like teeth, and laughed. Everything froze as the creature laughed. Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.

The monster pointed right at them and said in a perfectly understandable language. "Kill them."

"What? It spoke our language?" Daxter demanded, but Jak couldn't care less at the moment.

The monsters were coming down the slope toward him. Jak figured that if he was fast, extremely accurate, and had a lot of dumb luck, he could take out ten of them before they reached him.

Well… he didn't have a better plan yet. He raised the Blaster until the laser centered on the fore-most Metal-Head's head. Before the creature's head had exploded properly, two more were gunned down. Jak continued to shoot at the fore-most Metal-Heads as his mind raced to come up with a better plan.

Suddenly, a hard voice filled his head. _'How many times must I tell you, Jak? Use the environment! Use the environment! You see a rock, use it! You see a stick, use it! You see a cliff, use it!'_ Jak recognized the voice instantly, though it seemed a millennia ago when he last heard it. It was the voice of the old, grumpy man who taught him how to fight… once upon a time…

Jak took a single glance around and a pipe sticking out of the ground caught his eye. Jak grinned. Quickly forfeiting the gun idea, Jak leapt forward, pulled the pipe out of the ground, and held it in front of him like a spear.

Before the first Metal-Head knew what had happened, it had impaled itself on the pipe, which conveniently had a sharp end. The rest of the Metal-Heads slowed to a stop as they watched a bloody pipe burst from their comrade's back. Jak, realizing the value of this makeshift weapon, pulled it out of the dead Metal-Head.

"You fools!" The leader hissed from on top of the mound. "It is nothing more than a sharpened pipe! Kill him!" Jak brandished the pipe at the monsters rushed forward, eager to obey their officer.

The first Metal-Head met the same fate as its brother, the sharp pipe piecing its stomach. At the same time, Jak used the blunt end to hit another Metal-Head full on the face, the action ripping the sharp end out of the other Metal-Head, which fell to the ground and died. He spun around swiftly, building up speed, and slamming the Metal-Head across the face, breaking its jaw. Jak continued the momentum of the pipe and used it to break another Metal-Head's leg.

And so the fight continued with Jak stabbing, whacking, and downright beating the crap out of the Metal-Heads. Finally, the last living Grunt was lying wounded on the ground. Jak walked past it calmly stabbing it in the heart with the pipe as he walked past, leaving the bloodstained pipe in the Metal-Head's carcass. He stopped just below the leader.

"You speak my language, so I expect you to understand me." Jak said up to the Metal-Head. "It does not do to underestimate your opponent, any great warrior knows this."

The creature hissed. "You fight well, Metal-less One. But you know nothing of being a warrior!" Jak didn't need to know the details of Metal-Head culture to realize that the 'Metal-less' comment was an insult.

"Well, it seems to me that I have destroyed your comrades." Jak said, looking around at the bodies. "And while they were getting slaughtered, you stood up there, watching the show. Not very good leadership, if you ask me."

"Jak! Don't provoke it!" Daxter whispered.

But the Metal-Head apparently heard him. "The Little One speaks wisely. I am not a creature that takes kindly to being provoked."

"Nor am I." Jak said. "Why don't you come down and get me, you piece of slime."

"Are you really worth my time?" The Metal-Head wondered out loud. "You are exceptionally young. I do not usually waste my time fighting infants."

Jak growled, the Metal-Head had just crossed the holy line. In a flash the Blaster was out and aimed at the Metal-Head's chest. Before any normal person would've had time to blink, a single shot was fired at the Metal-Head.

What happened next almost happened too fast for Jak to see. Mostly all he saw was a flash of blue-light. Suddenly, a blue shield that was generated from a machine on the creature's left arm protected the creature. The shield deflected the bullet with ease. Jak blinked in surprise.

"Whoa! Where'd that come from?" Daxter asked.

"Standard issue to Commanders of the Metal-Head army." The Metal-Head commander laughed from behind its shield. "Your weapon is useless here."

"This only makes killing you more interesting." Jak said, tossing the gun aside.

"Not interesting." The Metal-Head said, leaping down from the hilltop and landing six feet in front of Jak. The monster grinned as it pulled out its own weapon, a gun attached to its right arm. "Impossible." It wasted no time in launching itself bodily at Jak.

It brought its shield up in an upper-cut-like movement, which Jak barely had time to dodge. He could feel the wind as it swept by, a mere inch from his face. The Commander forfeited the uppercut strategy and went for the more direct approach, namely slamming the shield in Jak's face.

The direct attack caught Jak off-guard and his mistake was rewarded by getting hit full in the face.

Hardly fazed, Jak leapt backwards to avoid the next attack: a crippling, underhanded, dirty kick that thankfully missed its target. If it had hit, no matter how tough Jak was, he would have been brought down.

The act of jumping back to avoid the extremely painful attack put Jak's back against some sort of control panel. Once again, the voice of his old trainer echoed in his mind. _'Use the environment!'_ A quick glance revealed that the computer console was connected to a crane that was holding a large slab of rock. Jak also happened to notice that the slab was hanging directly over the Metal-Head. How 'convenient.'

The Metal-Head raised its blaster weapon until it centered over Jak's heart. "You haven't even been a challenge! Say 'good-bye'!" The Metal-Head ordered.

"Good-bye." Jak said. Suddenly, he spun around and hit the button clearly labeled 'Drop'.

The Metal-Head looked up just in time to see the slab of rock falling towards it. "NOOO!" The Metal-Head cried as the slab fell on top of it, effectively turning it into Metal-Head pancake.

"Yes, waiter," Daxter began. "I'd like some squashed Metal-Head with fries on the side." Daxter laughed at his own joke. However, he was the only one that was laughing.

"Shut up, Dax!" Jak hissed. "There could be more."

"Doubt it." Daxter said. "Any Metal-Head within a mile of here would've heard the commotion and come running. Besides, you just killed one of the Metal-Head Commanders."

"If only another Commander would die as easily." Jak said, entertaining the idea of Erol being smashed under a huge rock. The idea had merit, but Jak felt the death would occur too quickly for him to fully enjoy.

Jak snapped himself back to reality. There would be a time when he would have to decide exactly how the Baron and Erol should die for their deeds, but this was not now. The fight put them closer to the stairs, so Jak climbed them.

Once at the top, they hitched a ride in one of the rock filled crates and made it safely to the other side with no sightings of Metal-Heads. However, Jak could bring himself to admit that Daxter had been right and he had been wrong. Besides, he just wanted to get out of there as he suddenly wasn't feeling very well. A large headache was attacking him, and Jak couldn't figure out why.

Jak walked up to the door, ignoring the pounding in his head, and pressed the access button. The door opened, giving Jak a split second view of a mess of computers before a bullet shot past his ear. Jak realized he was under fire from inside the booth and jumped to the safety of the doorway.

"AUGH! Stay back!" A voice yelled form inside the booth. Gunshots still rang out of the booth in random directions. Jak instantly learned two things. One: This guy couldn't shot and two: he was in a blind panic, making his shooting even worse.

"Do something, Jak!" Daxter's shrill voice cut into Jak's headache like a hot knife. "This guy's crazy!"

"Hey, you Vin?" Jak called into the booth.

"Stay back!"

"We're here to help you! Torn sent us!"

"I'm warning you!" The man fired off three more shots.

The gunshots were hurting Jak's head terribly. For a second, he wondered if he had somehow gotten drunk and this was some kind of sick idea of a hangover. But Jak couldn't remember ever touching any sort of alcohol. In desperation Jak called out. "Look, if we had been sent you kill you, you wouldn't be talking right now!"

The gunshots stopped and Jak breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah! Friendliness!" An old man around seventy leaned against a sort of barrier that he had made in front of the door. "So… ah…" He looked to Jak, who was massaging his temples, to Daxter, then back to Jak. "Where's the army?"

"Ah… we're it." Daxter said.

"What? Just you two?" Vin paused, thinking. "What do they think I'm worth?"

Jak growled in annoyance. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself. If you want you can stay here and be metal meat. But Daxter and I are leaving before those monsters get back."

"Yes…" Vin said. "There's a Warp Gate over there. He pointed, and Jak saw the Warp Gate was not five feet from the door.

"You couldn't run five feet and jump though the door?" Daxter asked.

Vin look offended. "They were guarding the door!"

But Jak didn't care. He suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. "Let's just get out of here." Jak walked around and jumped into the warp gate without even waiting for Daxter or Vin.


	23. The Sickness

Samos had always complained about the tingling sensation that one experienced when traveling though Warp Gates. But Jak had never had trouble with it; in fact, you could say he rather enjoyed the feeling.

However, what Jak had once found enjoyable now made him sick to his stomach. Within a second, Jak was back in the Power Station. Jak landed on his feet, walked to the center on the Station and fell to his hands and knees, groaning.

Daxter popped out of the gate, followed closely by Vin. Daxter noticed instantly that his friend was not waiting for him, arms crossed, and demanded why he was so slow. Instead, Jak was in the center of the room on the ground. He covered his mouth with his hand, like he was going to be sick. "Buddy? What's wrong?" Daxter asked, running to Jak's side.

Jak groaned. "I don't feel so good." As if to prove this fact, he promptly emptied his stomach on the floor.

"Oh my God!" Was all that Daxter could say.

"Your friend is sick." Vin said, staring pointedly at one of the many computer screens. He couldn't stand watching people regurgitate, it made him sick.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious!" Daxter said sarcastically, helping Jak to not fall in his own mess. "Now a little HELP would be nice!"

"Oh! Uh… um… I'll call Torn!" Vin said, pulling out a TalkBox and punching in Torn's number.

Jak, though very sick, stared at his own vomit. "There's no… Dark Eco…" He said.

"What?" Daxter asked, because he didn't understand.

"Thank the… Precursors…" Jak managed to gasp before he passed out.

"Oh my God!" Daxter repeated as Jak's limp body almost crushed him.

"Torn? Your guy here is very sick. He needs to be picked up right away." Vin said into the TalkBox.

"Jak?" The voice, obviously Torn, asked on the other line.

"I guess."

"I'll send some people over." Torn said, and then he hung up.

Daxter, however, ignored all the commotion. "Come on, Jak, buddy." He said to Jak's prone, unconscious form. "The Oracle thing said that you had several months to live. Don't you dare die, Jak!" But Jak was unconscious and couldn't answer even if he wanted to.

* * *

Ten minutes later, a small Underground task force arrived at the Power Station. The men had brought a stretcher with them, along with a first aid kit. However, none of the men seemed to be able to figure out what was wrong with Jak, so they couldn't help him.

"Let's just take him back to the Hideout to see the Doctor." One of the men said after a full five minutes of arguing. "Doc will figure out what is wrong with him."

"Well, what's taking you so long?" Daxter demanded. "Let's get Jak out of here!"

The men lifted Jak's limp form on the stretcher and carefully covered him with a sheet. "To hide his identity, see." One of the men explained. "We know this is Haven's Most Wanted and if the Guards realized that he is in this weakened state, they will stop at nothing until he's captured."

"I see your point." Daxter said as the men carried Jak out, Daxter following closely, forever at his friend's side.

* * *

Back in the Hideout, Jak was laying down on his own bed, still out cold. Daxter stood on the nightstand, Torn stood in the doorway, while a doctor examined Jak to determine what was wrong with him.

Finally, the Doctor backed away with a sigh. "Well, Doc, what's wrong with him?" Daxter asked.

"Nothing." The Doctor answered.

"Nothing?" Daxter repeated. "But… what about the puking and the unconsciousness?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, this man is perfectly healthy… if you ignore the fact that he is most obviously ill. He seems to be in some sort of coma… but I can't figure out why."

"A coma?" Daxter demanded. "But people can stay in comas for years!"

"Oh… I doubt we'll have to wait years for a development." The Doctor said.

"So… Jak's gonna be alright?" Daxter asked, relieved.

"I… I don't know." The Doctor said. "For reasons unbeknownst to me, his vitals are very low… almost non-existent. I fear that if he does not wake up soon… he'll never wake up."

"You mean… Jak's going to…" But Daxter couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "But… that's not possible! The Oracle said he at least had several months!"

"You are his friend?" The Doctor asked, Daxter nodded. "Does he have any relatives… close relations should the worst happen?"

Daxter shook his head. "No… none." He said. "He never even knew his parents and everyone… except me… is gone."

"What about his… er… affairs?" The Doctor asked.

At first, Daxter wondered why this doctor was concerned if Jak had a girlfriend… many, so it seemed. Then it occurred to him that he was talking about a Will… things like that. "Jak doesn't have anything." Daxter said.

Torn shook his head, speaking for the first time. "Dying without a thing in the world."

"You look like you need some good news." The Doctor said, seeing Daxter's sad expression. "The good news is if he pulls though the night, I'll give him a fifty percent chance of making it."

"Well, that's good." Torn said. "I've got a bone to pick with him when he wakes up."

Daxter rounded on Torn, angrier than he had been in a long time. "What is your problem?" The Doctor walked out. "Can't you see he's sick? He could die, and all you think about are your own stupid problems, not realizing that people have their own! Jak's days are numbered, and that number is too low for my liking! Even if he gets though this, he's gonna die in a few months anyway… so what's the point?"

"A few months?" Torn asked, slightly taken aback by this, but he recovered. "Well, since his days are numbered anyway, maybe you can answer me a simple question."

"What's that?"

"What exactly… is your friend?" Torn asked.

"What do you mean 'what is he'?" Daxter demanded. "He's an elf, just like you are… like I… used to be."

"Oh yeah? I've never seen an elf look like this…" Torn pulled out a mirror. "In a mirror."

"Crap." Daxter said, realizing that Torn must've snuck a peek at Jak in a mirror. However, the situation could be redeemed. "Oh, I see you found my trick mirror." Daxter said. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Wrong." Torn said. "This is Tess' mirror. Now what the hell is he?"

Daxter sighed, realizing he was cornered. "I don't know how much I can tell you without Jak getting angry with me. Guess I'll start at the beginning. Jak spent the last two years in the Baron's prison. During that time, him and fourteen others were tortured and experimented on by our one and only Baron Praxis."

"Him and fourteen other men?" Torn asked. "Are you saying there are others like him out there?"

"No." Daxter said. "According to Jak, he's the only survivor."

"What exactly were they doing to him?" Torn asked.

"Uh… as far as I know… getting injected with Dark Eco."

"But… only a Channeler could handle the effects of raw Eco. And I've never heard of anyone, not even a Channeler, being able to survive Dark Eco contact."

"Well, Jak here just happens to be one of the best Channelers in the world. He probably could've become an Eco Sage if he set his mind for it. He had such a natural talent for Eco… he could handle Dark Eco in small amounts without lasting damage… and once…" Daxter paused, realizing how stupid this was going to sound. "He even channeled Light Eco."

Torn scoffed. "Now I know you're telling tales, rat. Light Eco is a myth, it doesn't exist."

"It exists as much as Dark Eco does or any other kind of Eco." Daxter said.

"Okay, moving on." Torn said. "Why is the Baron so bent on capturing him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Daxter asked. "Jak here is one of the most power biological weapons the Baron ever created! He has more natural cunning, strength, agility, and speed that three elves! He is probably the most powerful being on the planet! The Baron would do anything to get his hands on a weapon like that!"

"So… he's a great weapon… but what is his purpose?" Torn asked.

"Uh… don't ever call Jak a 'weapon' in his presence, okay." Daxter said. "It's not like he enjoys being a weapon. As for his purpose? Well, Jak said the Baron wanted super-warriors to destroy the Metal-Heads. But now all Jak wants is to kill the ones who changed him into what he is."

"How ironic." Torn said. "I can assume that you are going to stay here for the night to see if he pulls though?"

"Yes." Daxter said. Then Torn walked out without another word. Daxter sighed, and then went to check Jak's forehead. But it was so hot, that Daxter couldn't even touch him. "Come on, Jak. Ya gotta pull though." Daxter whispered.

* * *

That night was one of the longest nights of Daxter's life. He sat on the bed the entire night, waiting for some sort of change in Jak's condition… one way or another.

He couldn't understand what was happening. The Oracle had given him several months to live, and it had only been three weeks since they spoke to the Oracle. It wasn't Jak's time yet. What was wrong with him and why wasn't he waking up? Why was this even happening?

Jak didn't deserve any of this. It was said that the Precursors punished the wicked for their deeds. But if Jak had done something to deserve this, he didn't know what it was. Jak had once been the prime example of how a good, well-mannered boy should act. Daxter got that speech all the time from his parents!

"Why can't you be more like your little friend, Jak? He's such a fine boy." They'd say.

Daxter glanced at the present-day Jak. He doubted the people of Sandover would believe this was the Jak they knew and loved. He was a cold-blooded murderer. He was a man who could change into a horrific beast straight out of your deepest, darkest nightmares. Here was a man who wasn't a man anymore. He was a weapon, designed for the sole purpose of destroying the Baron's enemies. Now, he was a weapon that had turned on his creator.

Daxter perked slightly as Jak seemed to shift in his coma… but perhaps it was just is imagination, making him believe that he had seen movement. Daxter wondered if Jak was dreaming about something and if he was… what was it about?

* * *

(Flash-Back)

A bright flash of light blinded him, and then quiet suddenly, he was laying in a patch of grass. The young boy with green hair slowly pushed himself off the ground and gazed around at his surroundings. He appeared to be in some sort of forest, though he couldn't remember seeing it before.

 _Where am I?_ The boy wondered. Then, a more pressing question: _Who am I?_ He couldn't remember who he was… not even his name!

The boy got up from the ground and put his hand against a near-by tree for balance. The boy opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'Who am I?' But instead of his mouth forming the words, a strange grunt escaped his lips. The boy slapped a hand over his mouth. _Can't I talk? Why can't I talk? What's happening to me?_

Suddenly, a twig snapped to his right and the boy spun around. A figure that was only slightly taller than himself stepped though the leaves.

He was a short man with green skin, poofy hair with a log tangled in it, and he wore robes and log shoes. A little girl, younger than himself, with blue hair and green eyes, accompanied him. These people felt familiar, but the boy couldn't quite place them.

"Oh, Jak." The old man said, walking over to him. "We've been looking all over for you."

The boy blinked. _Jak? Is that my name?_ He couldn't remember beyond the forest, so he couldn't say if that was his true name or not.

The little girl reached over and tugged on the man's clothes. "Who is he?" She asked.

The old man sighed. "You two don't remember a thing, do you? Odd…" Both the boy and the girl blinked. "I guess you don't remember. I suppose this is for the best."

 _Remember what? What's going on?_ The boy, who could only be called Jak, wanted to scream, but only a frustrated grunt escaped him.

The old man seemed to realize what was happening. "Don't try to talk, Jak. You never could."

Jak was confused. This man seemed to know about him. Was he his father? Where was his mother?

The old man sighed. "I guess I'll have to explain things to you." The old man paused, looking from Jak the girl. "Keira…" The little girl looked up. "You are my daughter and you've always traveled with me." The old man turned to Jak. "Jak, my name is Samos. Though I am in no way related to you by blood, I've watched over you for years. Both your parents are… gone. You've been traveling with myself and Keira for a long time now, looking for a home."

Jak blinked. He couldn't say if the stories were true or not, but they were all he had. He had no choice but to accept the stories as fact.

"Come, Jak." Samos said. "There should be a nice village around here." Samos and the girl, Keira, walked off toward the south. Jak hesitated slightly before following.

* * *

(Coma-like state)

Jak watched as his earliest memory was played before his eyes. Why was he being forced to watch this? It was the day that Samos, Keira, and himself had arrived in Sandover. Samos and Keira took the house on the island while Jak was given into the care of his 'Uncle.'

Why was he asleep for that matter? The last thing that Jak remembered was the sickness in the Power Station. _Oh God, what if I'm still in the Power Station? What if I was recaptured? What if I'm back in prison? What if Erol's trying to kill me again?_ Jak stared into the abyss that trapped him, trying to see though the darkness, but to no avail. _What's happening?_ Jak yelled into the void.

* * *

(April 30, 2269, Morning)

Daxter glanced at the clock on the wall, seven a.m. It was morning. Daxter glanced at the bed that Jak still occupied quietly. Daxter could see his chest rising and falling as he breathed; a good sign.

The doctor gave him a fifty percent chance of making it if he pulled though the night, which he did. However, he knew the doctor would tell him not to get his hopes up until he woke up or gave some sign of life.

"Wake up, Jak." Daxter pleaded. "I'm not leaving your side until you wake up, I promise."

* * *

(May 7, 2269)

It had been one long week since Daxter swore to remain by Jak's side until he woke up. However, that time was yet to come.

"That's amazing, isn't it?" Tess asked, standing outside Jak's door.

Torn, who had been walking past, paused. "What? It's amazing that a man could spend a week in a coma without either dying or waking up?"

Tess frowned at Torn. "No! It's amazing that Daxter could be so loyal to his fried that he would sit with him for a whole week waiting for him to get better."

"Oh yeah, that." Torn said.

"Well, I think it's rather sweet." Tess sighed.

"You call it 'sweet', I call it 'gay'." Torn said.

"Torn!" Tess scolded. "Well… even if they were gay, how could there be a… relationship between an elf and a… a whatever Daxter is?"

"Daxter let it slip that he was once an elf. How or why he changed, I don't know… they could've been…"

"Oh shut up." Tess said, picking up a tray that she had been carrying prior to the conversation. The tray carried a small supply of soup and a glass of water. (The only type of drink the Underground had a ready supply of.)

"Don't you need rat food?" Torn asked. He knew that Tess had been bringing Daxter a tray of food every day. Funny, Torn had never seen her act so with anyone else.

"You have a very cruel sense of humor." Tess said lightly, pushing open the door and walking in. Torn rolled his eyes and walked away. He had better things to do that wait for Jak to wake up from his sleeping death. Tess walked over to the small chair that Daxter had occupied for the past week, ever watching his friend for any sign of life. Tess placed the tray next to him, while he barely seemed to notice her presence. "Any change?" She asked politely.

"He muttered something earlier." Daxter said. "I couldn't understand it, but it definitely was something."

"Well, it's good that he's speaking again." Tess said brightly. "It could only be a matter of time before he wakes up."

Daxter blinked. "I miss the silence."

Tess had no idea what he meant by that, but she figured that it was none of her business, whatever it was. Instead she offered him the tray. "Do you want soup?"

However, it seemed that Daxter was in one of his rare foul moods. Instead of accepting the soup, he knocked it out of her hands. Hot soup flew though the air. If it was fate or chance, no one knew, but a fair amount landed on Jak.

And then, to everyone's surprise, Jak's eyes shot open, he sat up swiftly and screamed: "I can't take it any more! Just kill me!" Then, while everyone was blinking, Jak leaned over the side of the bed and vomited all over the floor.

Once he was done being sick, he looked up at Daxter and Tess, who still couldn't believe that Jak was awake, sick, but awake. However, Jak was just as confused as they were. "What's happening? Where am I? Where's Erol?"

Daxter recovered first and spoke loudly. "Whoa! Calm down! You are in your room in the Underground hideout. Erol's out there somewhere and you've been in a coma for a week!"

Jak tried to absorb all of this information. But all he had so far was that he was in the Underground hideout and Erol wasn't torturing him again. "What?" He asked in a strained voice that reminded him of the first times he had used it… his mouth just didn't say the things he wanted it to say.

"Listen buddy." Daxter explained while Tess continued to stare. "For the past week you've been so sick we thought you might die. You were in a coma and no one could figure out why." Daxter trailed off as Jak turned green and puked over the side of the bed… again. "I guess you're still sick…"

Jak finished puking and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks, Mr. Obvious."

Daxter turned to Tess, smiling. "He has the ability to be sarcastic. He's gonna be okay."

Suddenly, and right on time, the Doc walked in. "Oh! He's awake! That's good… and very odd…"

"What's odd?" Daxter asked while Jak retched again. "Good lord." Daxter commented. "How many more times can you puke? You haven't eaten anything in a week."

"Hmm…" The Doctor hummed. "I was just coming to say that I thought I knew what was wrong with him. But now that I see him awake, that blows my theory right out the window…"

"What? What?" Daxter asked.

"His symptoms were remarkably close to Eco Poisoning, with deliberate mistakes. But I've never heard of someone waking up from an Eco Poisoning coma." The Doctor turned to Jak. "Have you recently come into contact with any type of Eco?"

Jak let out a growl that turned into a groan. "Listen, I'm in pain, I've been in a coma for a week, and I think I'm gonna be sick again, so can I please be spared stupid questions?"

Daxter sighed, and then turned to the Doctor. "Yes. Yes. Dark."

"I only asked one question." The Doctor said.

"But I know what you are gonna ask." Daxter said simply. "Are you a Channeler?' and 'What type of Eco have you been in contact with'?"

"So, am I gonna live?" Jak asked.

"Yes, it appears so." The Doctor said. "However, I suggest you stay in bed for at least a week, and then stay inside until you're fully better."

"How long will that take?" Jak asked.

"Two weeks." The Doc said casually.

"No way! That means I will waste a month in here!" Jak protested, even though he knew it was no good. He knew Doctor types, fully content to keep you in bed for months on end until you were better. Why, in Sandover, medicine was a bowl of soup and bed rest. If that didn't fix the problem, you were basically screwed. But Jak gave up with a sigh and leaned back into the bed. "Fine." He spat, clearly showing his contempt for the situation.

The Doctor left, followed by Tess and Daxter, leaving Jak alone. As another wave of sickness washed over him, Jak began to get that feeling that many know…

Have you ever been on a long trip away from your parents or family and then you get sick? Being sick makes you long for familiar things. Jak began to fall victim to this illness, a feeling of homesickness.

The room in which he 'lived', though familiar, lacked the feeling of safety that he took for granted in Sandover. And he suddenly realized just how much he missed his friends.

Tess walked back into the room carrying another tray of soup. When Jak looked up at her, she said, "You haven't eaten in a week. I thought you might be hungry."

Jak didn't really trust himself or his stomach at the moment, but he didn't tell Tess that. "Thanks." He said simply.

Tess waited a second for him to start eating but when she saw that wasn't going to happen; she turned and walked out.

And now that Jak was alone again, he could continue his self-pity. Funny how a near-death experience and knowing that you're gonna die in a few months anyway can make you become really honest with yourself.

He missed everything about Sandover. The ocean… the trees, the people, Samos… Jak had spent half his childhood helping Daxter clean his hut. Uncle… Jak missed him terribly. The Sculptor… Jak had spent the other half of his childhood chasing down that muse. The fisherman, Daxter's parents… who became sort of a replacement for a mother and father that he never had… Keira…

It was then that Jak's heart broke. While it barely showed on the outside, on the inside, Jak was crying out in pain. If only he could find her and tell her that he still cared for her as much as he did the last time he saw her. She was like his little sister, and she meant more to him than the universe. But how would that particular reunion turn out?

'Hey, Keira. It's me, Jak! Yes, I'm a wanted criminal, not to mention a murderer, with a nasty habit of turning into a Dark-Eco powered monster. Oh, and by the way, I'm gonna die a horribly painful death in a few months. So, can we just pick things up right where they left off?'

'Oh, Jak, I don't care how much you've changed, how many people you've killed, or what sort of demons live inside you. Just know I'd do anything for you!'

Even inside his head, the words sounded stupid, he knew there was no chance of that ever happening… ever. However, if he was going to die, he only wanted to finish three tasks: kill Praxis, kill Erol, and tell Keira that he still cared about her more than anything.

Jak's thoughts were interrupted once again by the sick feeling of bile rising in his throat. He leaned over the side of the bed and vomited right on the floor, joining the large mess of bile that was already on the ground. Once he was done, Jak's first thought was that he pitied the guy who had to clean up after him.

* * *

Thus, the week passed. The only thing that really happened to Jak was living with his head in a bucket and/or toilet, whichever happened to be closer when he had to be sick.

Most of the Underground got sick of the constant retching and volunteered for long-term assignments.

It also became unspoken rule among the children of the Underground to avoid that stretch of hallway between Jak's room and the bathroom. If you somehow caused a delay in his rush to a toilet, you would be treated to a vomit-spectacular. Not to mention you would suffer, not only Jak's displeasure, but also the wrath of the man in charge of cleaning.

Thankfully, like all vomiting, this didn't last long; only a few days. However, even after it stopped, the Doctor forced him to stay in bed for the full week. Once his week was done, however, he still wasn't allowed outside.

For the first few days, he still got to rest; Torn simply ignored him and didn't tell him to do anything. Jak thought it was too good to be true, and he was right. On the second day after the bed rest was over, Jak was given a long list of 'house-hold chores' commonly referred to as 'Maid Duty'.

It seemed that even though Torn couldn't send him out, he was determined to use Jak's time inside to his full potential.

The only thing to be said about the next two weeks was that Jak learned how to clean the Underground Hideout until even Torn was satisfied. At first, Daxter found the sight of Jak with a mop in one hand and a bucket of soapy water in the other rather amusing. But he was singing a different tune when Torn told him to help.

* * *

Finally, after two weeks toiling away, exactly two months since his escape, Jak threw the mop across the room. It was safe to say that he now hated that mop and everything about it. "I _never_ want to touch another mop again!"

"Yippee!" Daxter yelled, throwing his sponge across the room to join Jak's mop. "You can go outside without the Doc giving you a lecture about health crap!"

"You know… I've been thinking a lot lately." Jak said. "I might just know how to get at Praxis!"

"Jak, you've just gotten better and now you want to celebrated by killing someone?"

"Exactly!" Jak grinned before stepping outside the Hideout for the first time in a month.


	24. Jak Vs. Praxis, Part 1

(March 28, 2269)

So, let's hear this plan." Daxter said, but Jak ignored him, taking in the outside world. It had been a month since he stood out in the fresh air. It was a 'lovely' spring day, Jak was feeling loads better, and he had a plan to get into the Palace. The only good thing about his sickness was that it gave him plenty of time to think, something he wouldn't have done otherwise.

Jak hopped onto a near-by zoomer and began to head to South Town. "Remember when I asked that mechanic how to get into the Palace?"

"Yeah. She said that there was an access elevator… but…"

"But it would only work if we turned on the elevator's power." Jak finished. "Yes, I know. And I also know how we can get that elevator moving." Jak paused, waiting for Daxter to answer. Big mistake, the answer didn't come. Finally, Jak gave up. "Vin."

Daxter gasped. "No! He's a coward!"

"So are you, but you have your uses. Vin will have his, by helping me get into the Palace!" Jak said as he pulled up to the Power Station and walked up the ramp. Once inside, they saw Vin standing to one side and working on a computer. Vin apparently heard Jak's footsteps and spun around. "AUGH!" He screamed, and then he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you guys. Hey, by the way, I wanna thank you two for saving my butt out there at the Strip Mine."

"Yeah, and we wanna thank you for being such a bad shot!" Daxter grumbled, apparently still sore that Vin had almost shot him.

Oh, yeah, sorry about that, guys." Vin said, working on his computer some more. "I'm a bit jumpy these days."

"Jumpy? We hadn't noticed." Daxter said innocently. Then he looked over Vin's shoulder and his eyes widened in panic. "AUGH! There's a Metal-Head behind you!"

"AUGH!" Vin yelled, jumping in the air in fear. "Who the… what the… whoza…" Vin fell to the ground.

"Just kidding." Daxter said. "Nice reaction time, though. Your reflexes are almost as good as Jak's!"

Jak laughed quietly to himself while Vin fumed. "Not funny!" He yelled. "The Metal-Heads have been attacking our mining operations and we're running out of Eco." Vin inspected a computer. "Eco power keeps the shield walls up and if the shields drop… well… we can all kiss our butts good-bye!"

"Haven City has a shield?" Jak asked.

"Of coarse it has a shield!" Vin said. "How else do you think we keep those monsters out in the Wasteland where they belong?"

"Listen, Vin, I saved your life, but you got me help when I got sick, so I know you don't owe me anything… but…" Jak paused. "I need a favor."

Vin shook his head. "I can't help you with your Eco bill."

Jak rolled his eyes. "I need you to turn on the power to one of the old Palace support towers."

Vin blinked. "The Palace support towers? But those are part of the old B-Zone power grid! It hasn't worked for years!"

Daxter seemed ready to give up, but Jak had another trick up his sleeve, a little reverse psychology. "Well, if it's too hard for you, I understand. Power stuff CAN be tricky."

This method worked like a charm. Jak's comment offended Vin. "Tricky? I'll show you tricky!" Vin hurried off to one of the computers and began to punch in commands, muttering to himself. "Now, if I link the B-Zone conduct lines though the bypass grid…" The rest of the speech was completely lost on the duo. But as long as it was going to get the elevator working, Jak didn't really care that he couldn't understand a word of Vin's mutterings. Soon Vin returned to a normal, understandable language. "…And presto! You've got instant lift juice!"

Jak was impressed. "Vin… you're a genius!"

Vin turned red with embarrassment. "Actually, ah… Mar was the genius." He said modestly. "People say he made all the stuff you see years ago… the Shield Wall System… the Eco Grid… everything!" Vin shook his head. "Anyway, to get that elevator moving, you need to find and activate all the old B-Zone power boxes located at various points though the City; there are five of them."

Daxter breathed a sigh of relief. He was expecting something horrible. "That doesn't sound too bad." He said happily.

"No." Vin said casually. "Except the power boxes are guarded by motion-sensing turbo cannons!" Daxter's mouth dropped open in horror but Jak didn't react. He was used to finding things were much harder than they first appeared. At least this time he was forewarned. "But if you can destroy the cannons and activate the boxes underneath, I can do the rest." Vin handed Jak a map of the City with five 'x's on it, three in South Town and Two in the Slums. "Those are the location of the boxes." Jak turned to walk out when Vin yelled after him. "Just don't tell the Baron I helped ya!"

Jak turned around to face Vin. "Don't worry. I do not desire to put anyone in danger, only to make the Baron pay." With that said, Jak resumed walking out of the Power Station.

* * *

The last cannon was destroyed and the last box activated when Vin contacted the duo via the TalkBox. "Okay, the elevator is back online. You'll find it in Main Town by the Stadium. Have fun being killed in the Palace!" The line went dead and the Box retreated to Jak's pocket.

"I don't plan on it." Jak grumbled as he jumped back on to the zoomer and tore out of the Slums toward Main Town.

Once they were in Main Town, it was fairly easy to find the tower for it rose several hundred feet into the air, above the surrounding buildings. As they approached, the door opened without complaint and they walked onto the elevator.

As soon as Jak set foot on the platform, it began to move upwards at an incredible speed and he almost lost his balance. It was certainly faster than any elevator he had been on before. Daxter was also shocked by the rapid accent. "Whoa!" He cried out.

Within seconds, they reached the top. It took Jak only a second to regain himself. "That was… fast." He said truthfully.

"I think I left my stomach back on the first floor." Daxter groaned.

"This isn't the time to get sick!" Jak growled.

"Wait? So you are allowed to be sick for a month, but I'm not allowed to get a little motion sickness?" The furry Ottsel demanded.

Jak ignored him and moved toward the door, which opened for him instantly, revealing a long cable connecting the Palace to the support cable to stop it from falling. "My revenge awaits just at the end of this cable." Jak said, mainly to himself. "Piece of cake."

However, Jak spoke just a little too soon, and it seemed that the Baron had an obsession for trip-lasers. Due to an unlucky twist of fate, the Baron had set trip-lasers in the doorway that were turned back on along with the elevator and Jak tripped it. Instantly, the security slammed down hard.

About every ten feet along the cable, an armored gun turret pooped out. And it these guns made the trip hard, the rest made it impossible. Every section of tiles had a job to do, so it seemed. Some tiles were super-heated and could turn an elf into barbecue in seconds flat. Others had spikes on them, and others were electrically charged. There wasn't a single square inch of cable that had been overlooked. Crossing the cable with the traps set was impossible.

Jak blinked and he pulled out his TalkBox. "We'll see about this." He said angrily punching in a number. " Vin?"

"AUGH! Oh, Jak, you scared me." Vin said on the other line. Jak couldn't help thinking that a toothless crocadog would scare Vin. "Why are you calling? Shouldn't you be in the Palace?"

"I should." Jak said. "But we have a slight defense system problem. Can you turn it off?"

"Hmm… Cable PSC-5…" Vin hummed to himself again. "No, I can't. But it can be turned off from there."

"Fine, just walk me through it." Jak said, then he added. "In a language I can understand, if you don't mind."

"It's complicated…" Vin said. "Okay, first things first, go back into the elevator room."

Jak walked back into the room. "Okay, what next?" He asked. Static answered him. "Vin?" More static. "Dammit!" Jak swore. "Just my luck!"

"Must be bad reception in here." Daxter said. Jak growled as he put the TalkBox away. "Great, now what? We're screwed!"

Jak was about to agree when a strange feeling overtook him. It felt sort of like something was invading his body not unlike when he experienced a Dark transformation. However, this was different. Instead of the unspeakable rage that came with a Dark transformation, Jak was filled with a strange calmness. He also felt the grave weight of responsibility. However, what ever had taken over his body quietly accepted the responsibility. Jak grinned, a real type of grin, so unlike him.

"I do not believe that your assessment of the present situation is entirely accurate." Jak stated quite calmly.

Daxter blinked, and stared at Jak, amazed. Even though Jak could talk didn't mean he talked a lot. Hell, there were two four-syllable words in that sentence, a little too 'talky' for Jak. He was also grinning like a maniac. The smile looked plain goofy on his face. Usually when Jak smiled now a days it didn't reach his hollow, dead eyes. "Jak… are you feeling alright? You're not sick again, are you?" Daxter asked nervously.

"I've never felt better!" Jak said quite cheerfully. "But, firstly, I need to disengage this annoying security system."

Daxter continued to stare. More talky-ness? "Jak…" He began uncertainly. "Need I remind you that you don't know how to turn off the booby-traps from hell!"

Jak laughed, like Daxter had made a joke. "Why wouldn't I know? Everyone in my family knows how to turn off such trivial things as security systems. I thought that everyone in Haven knew that." Jak ignored Daxter's look of surprise. "What kind of rock have you been living under?"

"Okay, now you are starting to scare me. What, are you possessed or something?"

Jak laughed as he walked over to the northern wall and began to count tiles. Once he found the one he was looking for, he pried it off the wall, exposing several different colored wires. Jak broke first the green wire, then the blue one.

"Jak… are you sure that's a good…?"

But Daxter didn't finish his sentence as Jak twisted the two wires together like he did this every day. A computer panel popped out of the wall. "Password." It demanded in a monotone.

Jak began to type in what seemed to be a random jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols.

"Jak, are you sure that's…?" But Daxter's voice caught in his throat a second time as all the spikes and guns retracted without complaint and the heat and electric tiles shut off. Jak had slammed the computer back into the wall before Daxter found his voice again. "How did you do that? That was amazing!"

"I…" Jak was about to answer calmly before the feeling left him as quickly as it had come. This left Jak completely dumbfounded. "I… I have no idea where that came from!" Jak said, looking over the defenseless cable in disbelief.

"Well, what ever that was, that was awesome!" Daxter said, then he added in a grumble. "And it gave us our (possibly one-way) ticket into the Palace."

Jak, still highly confused about how he managed to turn off the defense system, seemingly without effort, made sure not to break the laser that went across the door and continued across the cable.

* * *

The end of the cable dumped the duo right onto the Palace roof. About ten feet away from their position was a portion of the roof that was made of glass. Large raindrops splattered the surface (for it had begun to rain on the way over.) Jak walked over to the glass and peered in, joined by Daxter. It seemed to be the Baron's Throne Room and Jak half-expected to find it empty. But he was surprised to see the Baron, Erol, and a hologram of what could only be the Metal-Head Leader. They appeared to be having some sort of meeting. Jak's hearing could make out the voices, even through the glass.

"I've told you, I will have more Eco for you by week's end." The Baron said irritably to the giant mug of the Metal-Head Leader. "Then we'll transport it directly to your nest, as promised."

"A deal is of very little value if you can keep up your end of the bargain, my dear Baron." The Metal-Head Leader said with a hiss. "I grow impatient with your puny gestures! Give me the agreed upon Eco soon, or our deal will become void. And believe me when I say that you, your precious city, and all it's inhabitants will suffer greatly if you come up short again!" The hologram disappeared.

Erol erupted, rounding on the Baron angrily. "He's toying with us!" Erol yelled. "Let me lead an assault on the Metal-Head Nest before it's too late! I can take him!"

"Don't be a fool!" The Baron spat as he walked over to the rain-splattered windows, looking down at the City below. "No one's ever penetrated the Metal-Head Nest, you know that. I've seen what comes of such foolish plans…" Praxis paused. "Oh well, I can thank the Metal-head Leader for finishing of our dearly departed King… the fool."

"The Metal-Heads, sir?" Erol asked, to get the Baron back on the topic.

"The Metal-Heads? Strength is their weakness. We play helpless, we train them to eat from our hands, and then…" The Baron trailed off, then rounded on Erol. "Continue with the plan! Tell Ashelin to up her patrols!" Jak listened closer at the mention of a familiar name. "I want that Tomb found!"

"But your daughter has not been… agreeable." Erol said.

The Baron huffed. "I'll see to that problem… one way or another…"

Jak blinked as looked at Daxter in confusion. "Ashelin is Praxis' daughter?" Then Jak's attention was drawn back into the Throne Room at the mention of another, much hated title.

"Any news on our escapee, Number Eleven?" The Baron asked.

"None, sir." Erol answered. "Not in over a month."

The Baron huffed again. "With any luck, it crawled out of the City and got itself eaten by a Metal-Head."

"Though that would be a fitting end for that… freak…" Erol sneered. "I highly doubt that it would be weak enough to fall to a Metal-Head. It is our Dark Warrior, after all. If anything has killed it, it would be Dark Eco poisoning."

"Enough of that Channeling freak." Praxis ordered. "It gives me enough headaches as it is. Let us just assume that it is dead." Jak almost laughed because neither the Baron nor Erol could appreciate the irony that the 'dead freak' was listening to every word they said. By the time Jak turned his attention back to the room below, the Baron was ranting on a different subject. "AND FIND THAT CHILD!" The Baron yelled. " If you spent half as much time looking for the little brat as you spent flirting with that mechanic girl…" Jak blinked. The mechanic girl behind that curtain? Jak could now almost understand her rudeness. "We would've pinned that little brat's royal ass to a wall long ago!"

"As you wish." Erol bowed. "With enough persuasion, I'm sure our spy will…"

"ACHOO!"

Jak jumped in horror as he realized that Daxter had just sneezed loudly. Without thinking, Jak grabbed Daxter and he jumped out of view. Down below, Jak could still hear Erol. "What was that?" A pause. "Could it be?"

"We need to get out of here." Jak said, walking away from the window.

"But… what about the Baron?" Daxter asked, following.

"Now, Dax!" Jak hissed. "I think we've just lost the element of surprise. Wait… _you've_ lost _us_ the element of surprise!"

"Wait… can't you hear that?" Daxter asked.

Jak listened, and then he heard it. It sounded like a low humming sound, like the type of sound a machine makes. Curious, he walked over to the edge of the Palace and looked over the low railing, and gasped. Jak leapt away from the wall just as a large war-machine came into view. Its shape reminded Jak for a Squipus with its mass of tentacles underneath and the Squipus-shaped cockpit. The blacked out windows cleared, giving Jak a clear view of the man inside, the Baron.

"Praxis!" Jak growled.

"Hmm… seems we have a rat in the walls… a rat and his boy." Praxis laughed at his own dumb joke.

The Blaster rifle was out in a second. "We'll see who's laughing soon enough!" Jak roared, sending a shot flying at the machine's cockpit window. However, when the bullet was a mere split second from hitting the glass, there was a flash of green light and a terrible pain in his shoulder. It took Jak a second to realize what had happened. The war-machine must've had some sort of shield, and once the bullet hit it, it ricocheted back at him, hitting him in the shoulder.

Praxis laughed as the wound healed itself, Jak grit his teeth, for it felt like he just got shot again. "Why, I believe it is me who's laughing." Praxis laughed. "Weapons are no use here, Eleven. This shield was designed to deflect all high velocity objects, like bullets." Praxis landed the machine on the ground, its tentacles acting as many legs. "So, have you come back for a few more Dark Eco treatments? Now that we know they are working, we'll be able to improve the design…"

"Death first!" Jak roared defiantly, tossing the useless weapon aside.

"Jak… I really think you should rethink that last statement." Daxter said, eying the war-machine, which bristled with Gatling guns and missile-launchers.

Both elves ignored the Ottsel. "Well, I would've preferred to have you strapped in that chair again, pleading for mercy. But since you seem to believe that death will be a better use of your time…" Praxis grinned evilly. "I believe that I could arrange that for you. Allow me to put you out of your misery!"

The windows once again blacked out and Jak had a split second to decide what to do next. He quickly dodged to the left just as a stream of bullets hit the space that Jak had occupied a second earlier. He quickly took cover behind a small column.

"This is not Hide-and-Seek, Eleven!" Praxis spoke playfully from the machine.

"Great, now what?" Daxter demanded when he realized they only had seconds before the Baron found them.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Praxis roared as he rammed his machine into the pillar. It would've successfully killed him if it were not for his vampiric reflexes. "Now you die!" Praxis roared as he charged at Jak, who was forced to dodge once more.

Praxis spat out some angry comment about Jak, which he himself couldn't hear. The only sound he could hear was the sound of insistent growling. Jak couldn't understand it, but it felt along the lines of: 'Let me out! Let me out!'

Jak was completely confused by the origin of this voiceless-voice until an almost forgotten sensation burned through him… the burning of Dark Eco in his veins.

"Oh God!" Jak yelled as he realized what was happening. He doubled up as the Darkness spread through his body like a wildfire.

"Please don't tell me you're sick again!" Daxter demanded. But Daxter soon realized exactly what was happening to his friend when said friend straightened up and let out an animalistic roar as the changes began. Praxis, who had been watching, couldn't help but stare as the Dark creature that he helped create emerge. The dream he had so long ago was right, it was an amazing creature.

As usual, the skin and the hair changed first, followed closely by the claws and fangs. Jak's blue eyes screwed up in pain as the horns burst from his skull; and when his eyes reopened, they were pitch black.

"So this is my wonderful creation?" Praxis wondered. "Hiding inside that puny little body?" The Dark creature didn't answer, instead, it stared at Praxis with the concentration of a super-predator. "It is too bad that you dislike me." Praxis said. "We could be partners, you and I. With your unstoppable might at my side, we could destroy the Metal-Heads and rule the world!"

But neither Jak nor Dark were fools. Both understood that Praxis was a dictator, through and through, and he didn't believe in 'partnerships.' The demon let out a venomous hiss whose meaning could only be too clear. 'Liar!'

"It is too bad that the creator must run afoul of the creation." The Baron said, getting the gist of what Dark meant. "As much as it pains me to destroy a magnificent weapon such as yourself, I must. You won't fight for me, so you must be destroyed!"

Now, everyone has their own way of dealing with problems. The cowards would run away and possibly jump over the side of the Palace with the thought to end everything. A genius would try to construct some sort of shield-disruption device with available materials. But only one sentence rang through Dark's mind, something he had heard the Baron say earlier. 'This shield was designed to deflect all high velocity objects, like bullets.' But what about objects that didn't have such a high velocity?

The Baron was only a split second away from pounding Dark into the ground, and he only had that long to decide whether or not to test his theory. Then it was decided. Dark leapt into the air just before the Baron pulverized him and waited to see if he'd be deflected upon landing. He was thankful to find that he was able to land on the machine.

"Get off!" The Baron yelled, swinging the machine around wildly in an attempt to get Dark off. The demon was forced to dig his claws into the metal to keep from falling off.

It can to Dark an instantly later why the Baron was so afraid of having a Dark-Eco-channeling demon attached to his war-machine. Whit it had been built to withstand bullets and physical assaults, the armor obviously hadn't been designed to ward off Dark Eco, which the demon was currently full of. Any part of the metal that came in contact with his body began to melt away as if acid were eating it. He was already having to find a new grip, which started melting as soon as he touched it. A brainwave struck him and he pressed his body flat against the metal, which began to melt the vital parts inside.

There was a loud beeping noise, which the demon recognized as a self-destruct sequence. He instantly released his hold on the half-melted metal and dropped to the ground.

"Crap!" A voice from his shoulder swore and the demon realized it was his host's pet. While he himself could heal rapidly from the blast, the pet could not. Dark swiped the scared Ottsel off his shoulder and held him close to his chest (being careful of his claws), and putting his back between the exploding machine and his host's pet.

There was an explosion, fire hit the demon's back and at the same time he felt hundreds of prickles, which must've been shrapnel.

The demon turned around to inspect the wreckage to make sure that Praxis was dead, and gasped at the sight that met him. The Baron was still alive in a half-melted escape pod. The Baron quickly zoomed out of the demon's reach.

"The Dark Powers I gave you can't protect you forever!" Praxis roared back at the Dark creature. "Since I made you, I can destroy you! We'll meet again soon!" Praxis flew away to lick his wounds.

"Yeah, whatever." Daxter laughed, waving after the Baron. "Bye bye!"

Daxter turned back to the Dark demon who was changing back into his regular form. "Okay, Daxter." Jak said once he regained his ability to speak in an understandable language. "I protected you from that blast, now you've got to help me."

"What?" Daxter asked.

Without a word, Jak spun around to give Daxter a good look at his back. Daxter gasped. There were pieces of metal sticking out of his back, ranging from the size of a splinter to a chuck that was about a half-a-foot long. "I can't feel them. My skin must've healed over them. However, just because I can't feel the pain doesn't mean it's not bad for me."

"So Daxter spent the next twenty minutes pulling out the metal. Jak occasionally cried out as soon of the bigger ones came free. Only when Jak's back had stopped looking like a jagged shrapnel pincushion, they headed towards a small cargo elevator that was nearby.

"Man, Torn is gonna be pissed." Daxter said. It was his first really intelligent comment, because he was right.


	25. The Shadow Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act II: The Precursor Stone

Jak may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was smart enough to know that he wasn't about to be congratulated. The second he walked back into the Underground, he had to endure glances like he was on his deathbed, or like they expected to attend his funeral in the near future.

The reason for this became apparent when Torn summoned them to his office. The second that Jak walked into the room, he saw, not only Torn, but Kor and the young Prince as well.

Torn looked up from his maps as Jak and Daxter entered. "The City's on High Alert. What the hell did you two do?" He demanded.

Jak was about to answer when Daxter leapt onto the table and cut him off. "Ahhh… nothing. We've been… sightseeing… right, Jak?"

"Oh really?" Torn asked, disbelieving, and picking up a piece of paper. "Then why are the Krimzon Guards looking for…" He began to read from the paper. "A dangerous young man with light hair, long overcoat, and a rabid orange RAT on his shoulder!" Torn glared pointedly at Daxter. The Prince also pointed at Daxter as if you say. 'He's an orange rat!'

Daxter gulped. "Uh… could be anyone. Orange is the new black this season!"

Jak waved Daxter off. "Look, we climbed up to the Palace, and we tripped a few alarms." Jak rolled his eyes, like assaulting the main enemy stronghold by himself was no bid deal.

"Oh, yeah, we did that too." Daxter said.

"What?" Torn demanded. "I didn't authorize a strike on the Palace!"

"Hey! I kicked the Baron's ass!" Jak defended himself angrily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Kid cover his mouth as if to say: 'You said a bad word!' Jak sighed. "Unfortunately, he escaped."

"And that's not all!" Daxter said. "We overheard a secret meeting with the leader of the Metal-Heads!"

For the first time, Kor looked interested in the conversation. "You saw the Metal-Head Leader?" He asked.

"No." Jak said. "He was using some sort of hologram. But we heard him talking with Baron Praxis."

"The Baron is bribing the Metal-Heads with Eco!" Daxter interrupted.

"It will never be enough." Kor said. "The Metal-Heads use more Eco a day than this City uses in a month."

"But the Baron's gonna double-cross them." Daxter said.

"Is that so?" It seemed to Jak that Kor held this information in higher priority that the rest of the people in the room. Jak, for example, didn't give a damn how Praxis wanted to win his stupid war. "Well, our good Baron's wonderful 'charm' must've angered someone, because there's word from the Wasteland that Metal-Head armies are on the move again. That last time that happened, we lost Dead Town…"

But Jak wasn't listening. He had just remembered something that Erol had said about Ashelin. "Why didn't you tell me Ashelin was Praxis' daughter?" Jak demanded of Torn, slamming his fist onto the metal table, the resulting BANG making everyone in the room jump. "What exactly is your connection with Ashelin?"

Torn rounded on Jak, an angry fire in his eyes. "That…" He hissed. "Is none of your damn business! Normally, I would suspend you both from the Underground for this breach in our safety. If the Baron had caught you, he would have tortured the location of this base out of you!"

"Don't you dare speak of the Baron's torture!" Jak roared, losing his temper. "I know better than anyone that torture that ass can dish out!"

"As I was saying…" Torn yelled over Jak's rage. "Normally, I'd send you both packing, but since you've already had so much personal time…"

"Personal time?" Jak demanded. "I was sick! I was near-death! I don't call that a great idea for a vacation." Jak put on a mocking voice. "Oh, gee, I think I'll die today."

"Shut up!" Torn spat. "Anyway, since you've been on leave for a month, we can't afford to lose you again." Torn paused, unsure of whether he had just given Jak a compliment or not. Jak grinned smugly, taking Torn's comment as a compliment. Torn couldn't stand that look on Jak's face. "Since you're the one who's stirred up the Wumpbees' nest, you and whiskers here get to move four of our people to new safe houses. Shuttle each agent to a location they specify. Move all of them without any causalities." Torn glared at Jak, making it clear just how much he wanted to push Jak into a hoard of Metal-Heads. "And, Jak, don't you dare screw this up or I'm throwing you out of the Underground."

* * *

After Jak had safely transported all the Underground agents and secured that he wouldn't be thrown out of the Underground… for now, Jak walked back into Torn's office. He found Torn pacing, which he did a lot.

"All the men are safe." Jak reported, folding his arms over his chest, and still rather angry with the rebel leader.

"Good." Torn said distractedly. "But we've got bigger problems now. One of our scouts spotted serious Metal-Head activity in Dead Town. Creatures moving toward the Sacred Site… just as before…"

"What happened, ah… 'before'?" Daxter asked.

"The last time the Baron got the Metal-Heads mad, the Leader vowed to destroy one section of the City every day until the Baron made amends. As you can imagine, the common people don't know this. The only reason I know is because I was still a Krimzon Guard back then and I witnessed the Leader's threat. It was shortly after that when I quit. Anyway, the first place the Metal-Heads attacked was Old Haven, the oldest and most populated section of Haven City." Torn sighed. "Those old walls couldn't hold back the Metal-Heads and they broke through. We fought them, but then the Baron pulled all the Krimzon Guards back behind a new barrier that had been built, leaving everyone outside of this new barrier to die."

"So the Baron really is a heartless bastard." Jak said.

"That's what I discovered that day." Torn said. "Anyway, only the Shadow stayed behind, and he single-handedly stopped the Metal-Heads from moving into the other parts of the City. The Metal-Heads gave up, but it left the section in ruins."

"You don't mean… Dead Town?" Jak asked.

"The same. There is a building out there that is considered sacred, and it is extremely important to the Shadow. I want you to go out to Dead Town and prevent any of the Metal-Head creatures from reaching the site. If you are successful in protecting the Sacred Site, the Shadow will be… most grateful. He may even ask to see you." Jak turned to walk out, but Torn called to him. "Hey, I'm probably wasting this…" He slid a large gun mod across the table. "Here's a Vulcan Fury barrel for that pea-shooter of yours. Believe me, you're gonna need it."

Jak took a few seconds connecting the new gun mod to the Morph-Gun. And then, with a push of a button, the Blaster transformed into the Vulcan Fury weapon. The first thing that Jak noted was that it was really heavy for a gun, so it was carried lower than the others.

Jak examined the new weapon with the delight of child who had just been given a new toy… a deadly toy. Torn rolled his eyes at Jak's short display of immaturity, once again reminding the rebel leader of just how young Jak was. He wondered why a young man who wasn't even twenty yet would be so intent on becoming such a large part of their war.

However, Torn couldn't help but be slightly impressed by the young elf. He had never dared to launch a direct assault on the Palace… it was just too well protected. Torn wouldn't do it if he had an army at his back, let alone the few hundred able-bodied fighters that he had. For a single man and his rat to penetrate the inner workings of the hub of Praxis' power was unheard of… and considered damn-near impossible. And, by the sounds of the rumors, there had been a fight in which the Baron had nearly been blown to smithereens. Jak, on the other hand, had come back without any injuries of any kind.

Torn's father had once spoken to him about tyrants. He said that what most tyrants fear above all else are the people that they oppress. The fear that, one day, one among their number would gather the strength and courage to fight back. In this way, most tyrants create their own worst enemy. As Jak left the room, Torn could only wonder if the man who just left his presence was the one that would finally rid this city of the four years of hell they had suffered under Praxis' rule.

* * *

"Back to Dead Town." Daxter said. "The creepiest of the creepy."

"I wonder what this 'Sacred Site' is." Jak wondered out loud.

"I've heard some Slummers talking about the Sacred Site once." Daxter said. "They say that the spirits of the past live there."

"Not angry spirits, I hope." And the strange thing was that Jak was deathly serious when he said this. Before his last trip into Dead Town, Daxter told Jak that the place was haunted and he laughed at the idea. Jak didn't believe in ghosts. So he headed off into the maze of ruined buildings. It took only ten minutes in that place to convince Jak that Dead Town seriously creeped him out, what with the disembodied voices and all. And now he was starting to believe that the place really was haunted.

This thought carried him all the way to the entrance to Dead Town and through the double security blast doors.

Instantly, Jak knew that this would be no cake-walk. The very air of Dead Town was thick with the stench of Metal-Head.

He instinctively pulled out the Blaster. "Okay, here's the plan." Jak said. "Find this 'Sacred Site' and then get the hell out of here."

"Amen to dat, brother!" Daxter said.

Jak walked down one of the ruined hallways, the new Vulcan Fury held at the ready. Not too far into the ruins, Jak discovered that Torn was right. He did need the power of the Vulcan Fury. Dead Town was now inhabited by a type of Metal-Head that had a fair resistance to bullets. Besides, if you didn't take it out fast enough, you could find yourself being repeatedly hit with Dark Eco projectiles. The Vulcan Fury was a weapon that wasn't as powerful as the Blaster, nor did it have the wide-field of fire that the Scatter gun had. But the Vulcan Fury did have an insane rate-of-fire that more than made up for these shortcomings. The continuous stream of bullets could literally keep the monsters off their feet until they expired.

Jak had just finished 'taking care' of two of these Slingers. (So called because of the Dark Eco-hurling slings they carried.) And continued to walk down the hallway, his sense of foreboding increasing with every step.

It wasn't until he rounded the corner that he realized the reason for the increased sense of dread. As soon as he saw what was waiting for him, his jaw dropped.

In the middle of a large area that had obviously been the ocean at one point was Samos' old hut! However, it looked like it had been through the mill, but it was the same hut that Jak had visited every day of his life back in Sandover!

Daxter spoke first. "Is that…? Is that…? No, it couldn't be… That's not…"

Jak finally found his voice. "It's… Samos' hut!"

"But how? What? When? Where? Why?" Daxter demanded.

Even as Jak spoke the words, they sounded impossible. "We're in the future, Dax." The young elf paused, piecing together the information. "This… horrible place is… our world!" Jak looked around at the surrounding ruins of Old Haven. "They built a city right where Sandover… our home… was!"

"The future?" Daxter wondered out loud. "But… how could be have possibly come to the future?"

"The Ring… the Rift Gate…" Jak said. "Remember the writing on the Time Map? 'All ye who activate the Time Map will travel through Time and Space.' As crazy as it sounds… we've time-traveled!"

"But then… WHEN are we?" Daxter asked.

"The Oracle said that Haven City was built five hundred years ago. So it can't be any less than that." Jak reasoned.

"Wait…" Daxter said. "If we're five hundred years in the future… how are we supposed to get back home?" Daxter had finally nailed the most important question.

"I—I don't know." Jak admitted.

"Great… just great!" Daxter glared at the hut, as if it were somehow responsible for their predicament. "I thought we just got sent to a far away place, but into the future?"

"Let's just get out of here." Jak said suddenly. For a second, he could've sworn he heard someone calling his name. In his mind, the Dead Town creepiness meter just went up a few levels.

"Fine." Daxter said as Jak turned around and began to backtrack back to the gate that led to Haven City. "At least one good thing has come out of this." Daxter mused.

"What? Finding out our home has been replaced by a city, ruled by a bastard tyrant that tortures people with Dark Eco just to see what will happen?" Jak questioned bitterly.

"No, I mean that we will finally get to meet the enigmatic Shadow." Daxter paused before continuing angrily. "Just what do you have to do around this place to get noticed?"

"That depends on whether or not you WANT to get noticed." Jak said, remembering over two years ago when he had been plucked off the street for some imaginary crime.

* * *

Jak pulled up to the outside the Underground Hideout and walked in. Torn greeted them at the entryway.

"The Shadow has decided it's time to meet you." Torn said. "However, he isn't here right now, he's out on… ah… 'personal matters'. But he'll be back soon."

Jak asked the first question that came to mind. "Why's that place in the old ruins so important to you?"

"The old house? It's the oldest house in existence. Many people say it was here before Haven City was. There's a powerful energy force there. The Metal-Heads seem drawn to it and many believe that's why they attacked there first. The whole place seems to be some type of focal point of Eco power." Torn explained.

"Focal point? No kidding. We used to know the guy that lived there." Jak said.

Torn blinked. "No one's lived in that house for hundreds of years."

"This was a LONG time ago." Jak said mysteriously.

Torn shook his head, deciding that it was better not to ask. "Why don't you go rest or something while you wait. I've got to get something done before our next mission." Jak didn't really feel like resting, but he did get the fact that he was being dismissed. Without another word, he headed for the back and opened that false wall and walked into the main Underground Headquarters. The wall closed swiftly behind him, leaving Torn alone.

Once he was sure that Jak was gone, Torn pulled out his personal TalkBox and punched in a number, Keira's number. Keira was the female owner of Bease Racing. Even though she wasn't a 'member' of the Underground she helped the Underground by working on their vehicles whenever they were busted. She also happened to be close to Erol; or rather he flirted with her constantly. Under the right circumstances, she could sometimes weasel information out of him.

The line connected and Keira's voice answered. "Hello?"

"This is Torn." Torn began.

"Oh, I've almost finished working on the transport…" She began, but Torn cut her off.

"That can wait until later." Torn said. "But right now, I need your JetBoard."

"The JetBoard?" She asked.

"Yes, we're gonna send our newbies out to Haven Forest to root out a few Metal-Heads Scouts. Those babies are impossible to catch on foot and they have a high resistance to bullets… you see our problem?"

"Yes, the JetBoard would be perfect for the job." Keira said. "These guys are working for the Underground, right?"

"Of course." Torn said. "Why, I doubt I've ever seen a man more hell-bent on the Baron's death. It is his life-blood. He eats, drinks, and breathes old Metal-Head-wanna-be's death."

"Well, as long as they are helping the Underground… heck, I'll even let your boys keep it." Keira added. "Just send someone over to pick it up."

"Tess okay?"

"Fine. I don't have the time to be dropping things off."

"Still don't have a racer?" Torn asked. "I could get one of my better drivers to work for you."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Keira said. "I can handle it myself… but…"

"But what?"

"I may have to pull Bease Racing from this year's line up in the Class Races." Keira hung up first and Torn put aside the TalkBox with a sigh.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Torn walked up to the door that led to Jak's quarters. He briskly knocked on the door and waited. The door opened, seemingly on it's own, then Torn looked down and saw that Daxter had opened the door.

"Oh, it's you." He said. "Where's Jak?"

"He's asleep." Daxter asked.

"Well… wake him up. The Shadow's ready to meet him." Torn turned and walked away.

Daxter closed the door as quietly as possible and turned to look at his friend, who was indeed, fast asleep. Daxter was at loathe to wake Jak up as he barely got enough shut-eye was it was. Besides, this seemed to be a rare, peaceful sleep, devoid of nightmares. It was hard to say, but he figured it was the first time that Jak had slept peacefully in a long time.

But Daxter also knew that Jak wanted to meet the mysterious Shadow, so he would have to wake him up.

Daxter climbed up onto the cot, a poor excuse for a bed, and walked up to the sleeping elf's face. "Jak…" He began softly, hoping not to arouse Jak's deadly rage for waking him up. "Jak." He repeated, just a little louder. "Jak, wake up."

The elf shifted slightly, lifting his head about an inch off the pillow to show that he was waking up. However, he didn't even bother to open his eyes. "Keira?" He asked, groggily.

Daxter almost laughed. "No, it's me… Daxter."

"Dax—Daxter?" Jak finally opened his eyes and saw an orange mug right in front of his face. "Oh, it's you. I thought for a sec…"

"I know what you thought." Daxter said. "Jak, we haven't seen Keira in two years. She's not going to suddenly appear in your… ah… 'room'." Daxter gestured around at the bare walls.

Jak yawned and blinked, trying to clear the sleep-fog clouding his brain. "You're right." He said suddenly, and then he realized that he was treading on dangerously emotional ground, Jak added. "I just… miss her… them." He corrected himself. After all, he didn't just miss Keira. He missed everyone back in Sandover. Except they were long dead… hundreds of years ago.

Daxter stared at Jak, as though he suspected that he missed Keira most of all. Besides, he wasn't about to bug Jak about his emotions. His emotions were now restricted to rage, anger, and, on good days, contempt. "Torn stopped by. He said that the Shadow's here and he's ready to meet with you."

That woke Jak up. Jak practically leapt off the cot and rammed on his boots. Jak grabbed a newly 'acquired' over-coat and threw it on as he marched out the door without Daxter.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Daxter called as he rushed out of the room to follow Jak.

Jak walked into Torn's office, which appeared to be empty. Only a few seconds after Jak entered the room, followed closely by Daxter, did Torn enter the room.

"Jak… Daxter… this is the Shadow." Torn introduced as he stepped into the office, followed by a short figure.

"So, you are the new recruits who keep getting into trouble." The Shadow said.

Jak's mouth fell open in complete shock. He didn't know who he expected the infamous Shadow to be… but it defiantly wasn't this. "Oh no, not you!" Daxter cried.

Indeed, it was a well-known face. It was Samos Hagai, the Sage that had helped raise Jak from a boy in the place of his dead parents. But, at the same time, it wasn't Samos. He was younger looking, and he had an afro. In fact, he looked almost exactly how Jak remembered him from his earliest memories of the Sage. His clothes were also more 'city-like' instead of 'sage-like'. "I am known as the Shadow, but you may call me Samos. And you are?" Samos finished and Jak blinked. Couldn't he recognize them?

"Jeez, Jak," Daxter spoke irritably. "We went through all that to meet his holiness? Old Log-In-The-Head? Grandpa Green?" Neither Torn nor Samos seemed to take these comments kindly.

"But… don't you know who we are?" Jak asked.

"Sorry, kid, never seen you before." Samos said. "And I never forget a face, especially one that ugly." He pointed right at Daxter's furry mug.

"So it begins…" Daxter sighed.

"But… I'm Jak!" The elf began desperately. He never expected to find someone that he knew only to find they didn't remember him. Sure, he did change in prison. He did look older and different, but… jeez! "You raised me from a boy! And Daxter! And—and Keira!"

Both Samos and Torn blinked. "How do you know…?" Samos began, but Jak cut him off.

"I mean, we came though the rift with you." Jak said. "Into the future… right?"

"Yeah! You used to look older then dirt and uglier than a knotted stump!" Daxter yelled loudly. Once again, Samos and Torn frowned. "What gives? Did you get a little 'nip and tuck' while we were gone?"

"Listen boys, I don't know WHAT kind of twigs you've been chewing on, but I don't have time for this!" Samos said. "We've got a Baron to over-throw, a child-heir to protect, an invasion of Metal-Heads to stop, and a city to save. I'd say the schedule is pretty full." Samos looked back at Jak. "Besides, I haven't gone through any rifts. I HATE teleporting."

Daxter rolled his eyes. "Sure sounds like the old Samos."

Suddenly, the door opened and Tess walked in, carrying a device that Jak recognized as the JetBoard. She set it down on the table and looked at Jak. "Good luck." She said simply before she left.

"Ah, yes, good." Samos said, looking at the JetBoard. "Our friend has come through for us again." Samos turned to Jak. "But, right now, I need you to go out to Haven Forest…"

"This place has a forest?" Jak couldn't believe it for one second.

Torn cut in. "It's located outside the City, near the Precursor Mountain Temple."

"Anyway…" Samos began. "I need you to go to the forest and root out a few Metal-Head scouts. That forest is my source of power, but I can't protect it much longer."

Torn took over from there. He slid the JetBoard across the table towards Jak. "A gift from our friendly neighborhood mechanic." Torn said. "You're lucky. She said that since you are helping the Underground, she's willing to let you keep it." Jak grinned as he picked up the 'Board. "Metal-Head scouts are large flying Metal-Heads, so they are impossible to catch on foot and they are immune to Morph-Gun fire. You have to chase them down on the JetBoard, got it?"

"No problem." Jak said casually.

"Just head out toward the Temple, but instead of entering it, turn to the left and ride on the small platform to the forest." Torn said.

Nodding, and with another glance at Samos, Jak turned and walked out of the office, followed by Daxter.

Torn turned to the Shadow. "Did you hear that?"

"My hearing is as good as it ever was, Torn." Samos said. "Not only did they claim to know me, but they also claimed that I 'came to the future' with them. And they…"

"And they claimed to know K…"

"Enough of that." Samos cut Torn off. "The fewer that know, the safer she'll be. There could be spies everywhere."

"Pardon me, but why is it so important that people not know about her?" Torn asked. "She has more security around her than the Kid… and that's really saying something!"

"If people knew about her… if my many enemies found out about her… they'd try to use her to get to me." Samos said. "It's better with her hidden." Samos paused. "You haven't told anyone about her, have you?"

Torn blinked. "No, of course not!" He said.

"Good." Samos said. "Trust me… it's the best thing for her… not to mention the entire Underground movement… even the Kid."

Torn looked for a moment like he was going to pursue the issue, but then he thought better of it. Instead, he nodded and left.

Samos sighed. "If only things were better, it wouldn't have to be this way."


	26. Deja Vu?

"Hey, you two!" Torn called out of his office just as Jak and Daxter were trying to sneak by to get something to eat. Poor Jak found himself being given a mission every time he walked by Torn's office now a days.

In the past two weeks, Jak had been forced to do all sorts of boring missions that he was sure had been invented to keep him busy. Busy enough to keep him from pulling another stunt with the Baron in the Palace.

Jak stopped with a sigh, rolling his eyes. "What is it?" Jak asked with mock politeness. It was clear, however, that Jak wished Torn noting less than a thousand painful deaths. Daxter, even though he thoroughly despised Torn, couldn't help but be impressed by him. Torn was possibly the only being, besides Daxter himself, that antagonized Jak on a regular basis. And the most amazing fact of all was that he was still breathing.

Torn ignored the venom in Jak's voice as usual. "Go out to the alley. The Shadow's waiting there. He's going to give you an important mission." Jak began to walk away when Torn called after him. "Jak! If you screw this up…" Torn paused, thinking. "I'll personally make sure that you lose more than just your membership to this resistance." Satisfied with his threat, Torn returned to the maps on the desk.

Surprised at the seriousness of the threat, Jak backed out of the doorway and quickly turned to walk down the hallway.

Daxter whistled. "Sounds like a serious mission. What do you think they'll make us do?"

"Maybe they're sending us to kill the Baron or Erol…" Jak mused hopefully.

"After the Palace stunt?" Daxter laughed. "I don't think they'll send you within a hundred feet of Praxis or Erol."

The secret wall opened for Jak without complaint. He quickly crossed the small room and ascended the steps. The door opened and he saw Samos standing in the alley. The Underground Leader was accompanied by none other the Prince Kid and a small crocadog. The Kid and the crocadog appeared to be good friends as they played together. Crocadogs were famous for their supreme loyalty towards their masters, and infamous for their ferocity towards anyone else. Jak had heard more than one story of people being badly bitten by the monsters. This crocadog appeared to be very young as adults could get very big.

Samos spoke. "We've got a very bad situation here, Jak." He said. "The Baron is desperate to find the boy here…" He gestured to the young Prince, who was being chased playfully by the crocadog around the alley. "Too desperate for my liking. He has ordered that every child in the City should be arrested. Now, we can't allow this boy to be taken, but it's not safe here. Kor has promised to look out for the boy. But he needs to be taken to the Power Station, and I'm just too busy to baby-sit right now. Take the boy and the crocadog to the Power Station." At that moment, Samos moved too close to the crocadog. The dog skidded to a halt and snarled at Samos.

The rebel leader backed away instantly. "Isn't he sweet?" He asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, about as sweet as vinegar." Daxter said sarcastically.

"So, what's this kid's story?" Jak asked. "How do you know that he's the Prince?"

"I found him wandering the streets almost a year after his parent's downfall from power, about two and a half years ago." Samos explained. "Do you see that amulet around his neck?" Jak saw it; it was the Seal of Mar thing. "The Seal of Mar, the symbol of the Royal Family of Haven City. Only the members of the Royal Family carried amulets like that." Samos then returned to his briefing. "Take the Kid and the mutt to the Power Station. Watch out for Guard patrols and defend the kid at all costs." Jak, who was focused on Samos, suddenly felt something grab his hand. Jak looked down and discovered that it was the Kid. Jak quickly got his hand out of the Kid's grip and backed away in surprise. It had been a long time since he felt something as gentle as the touch of a child. Mostly it was tearing claws and ripping fangs these days. "Oh, and if you happen to lose the crocadog…" Samos began.

However, he was cut off by a hissing snarl from said crocadog. It was plainly saying: 'I have no intention of abandoning my master, and you'd do well to remember that!'

"So…" Jak began, trying to ignore that crocadog's continued growls. "Will we have to walk the whole way?" There appeared to be no transport in sight.

"Of course not!" Samos said incredulously. "Do you think we'd make the Crown Prince walk across half the City? There's a two-seater zoomer just around the corner." He pointed toward the exit of the alley. "Now go! The faster you get the boy to the Power Station, the safer he'll be!"

The Kid stood before Jak, string up at him with an expression of mild curiosity. Jak and Kid stared at each other for a few seconds before Jak spoke. "Okay, come on, Kid." Jak walked down the alley, followed by the Kid, who in turn was followed by the crocadog.

"Told you this was a dumb job." Daxter whispered in Jak's ear.

"What do you mean? We've been entrusted with the Kid." Jak whispered back.

"No, we get to play personal chauffeur to 'His Majesty'." Daxter complained.

"More like bodyguard." Jak corrected, pulling the Blaster out of its holster slowly. The Kid grew worried.

"What's going on?" Daxter asked. Instead of answering out loud, Jak simply nodded southwest. Daxter looked up and saw a Krimzon Guard rushing toward them.

"Hey, you!" He yelled, obviously not recognizing the infamous outlaw. "You with the kid! Drop your weapon and surrender the child!" Suddenly, the guard stopped. It seemed he finally realized exactly what he was facing. "Back up!" he yelled into his radio. "I need back…" The guard never finished his sentient. He dropped dead with a bullet hole right between his eyes.

Jak lowered the still smoking gun, but it was too late. Every Krimzon Guard in the Slums would be coming to help their comrade. Jak looked around for the promised zoomer. It was about ten feet from their current position, and more guards were coming, yelling things like: "It's him!" "The Dark Eco Freak!" and "It's the Dark Monster!"

Jak turned to the Kid. "Go, kid, I'll protect you."

The Kid looked rooted on the spot with fear for a couple seconds. Then the fear disappeared and was replace by determination. Accompanied by his faithful crocadog, the Kid took off toward the zoomer. Jak followed behind, taking out most of the guards that came into view without warning or mercy. It amused Jak to discover that he didn't have to take out every single guard by himself. The stories of the crocadogs were, indeed, true. Jak was first aware of it when he heard the screams.

"Oh my God! My hand!" Jak looked over to see that it was a guard, clutching the bloody stump that used to be a working hand. Jak soon discovered who it was that had taken off the hand. The crocadog had been caught 'red-mouthed'. After that, some of the Guards gave up, but most didn't. At least five more lost their hands to the crocadog. The other's lost their lives. The Kid reached the zoomer and climbed into the passenger seat, followed by the crocadog.

Jak followed the duo closely and leapt into the driver's seat. "Step on it!" Daxter yelled as the Guards began to change their weapons from Shock-Rods to Blasters.

"Hang on, Kid!" Jak shouted as he turned on the zoomer with the push of a button and took off at the highest speed the chunky two-seaters could handle, leaving the guards on foot far behind. However, they were now bringing in Krimzon Guard speeders and fighters. These vehicles didn't have much fire power, but if they ganged up on you, you could be in serious trouble. "Keep your head down!" Jak ordered. Both Daxter and the Kid obeyed. Daxter got off Jak's shoulder and hid somewhere by his feet.

Jak entered South Town with about a dozen guards chasing him, one scared Ottsel hiding at his feet, one crocadog barking insanely at the pursuers, and one little Prince. However, Jak felt that he was having the time of his life. There was nothing quite like a high-speed chase that put your life on the line. Unbidden, a maniacal laugh escaped from Jak, the Dark Elf laughed madly at the foolish chase.

At once, Jak stopped laughing and almost ran into a wall in shock. The strangest feeling of deja vu had just come over him. He instantly glanced down at the Kid who was staring up at him once again' not with fear or curiosity, but with trust! An unconditional trust radiated from the Kid's eyes that reminded him of how he used to be… a pure, innocent boy that had been lost in prison.

"Watch out!" A voice yelled. It turned out to be Daxter. Jak looked up and found that he was about to run into a wall.

"Whoa!" Jak cried as he twisted the hand bars and avoided the solid metal wall by a mere inch.

"Could you concentrate, please?" Daxter demanded.

"Sure." Jak responded half-heartedly, getting back on course. _Could it be?_ Jak wondered to himself as he went straight up the ramp to the Power Station, zoomer and all. _Never mind, I'll think about that later._ He thought as he allowed the Kid and the crocadog out of the zoomer. He followed them through the doors to the Power Station.

The only person in the Power Station was Kor, who turned around upon their arrival. "Samos told us to bring his 'Royal Highness' to you." Daxter said sarcastically.

"Don't ever call him a Prince in public!" Kor scolded. "He's the Kid. It's for his own safety. As for the boy… I'll be sure to keep him close." The crocadog snarled at Kor, who put on a very forced smile. "How sweet." He said sarcastically. On a whim Jak knelt down next to the snarling animal and scratched it behind it's ears. To everyone's surprise, the snarling stopped and the dog's tongue rolled out of its mouth in pure reptilian-canine ecstasy. "Amazing…" Kor observed. "That insufferable mutt never liked anyone but the boy before…"

Jak shrugged as he continued to scratch the crocadog's ears. "I guess I'm just good with animals." He stared pointedly at Daxter who hissed, Ottsel-like, at him.

"I have some valuable information for you." Kor said, commanding Jak's attention. "The Baron is conduction an excavation at the Dig. He is still looking for that ridiculous Tomb of Mar…" There was a strange sound of liquid hitting metal and everyone looked around to find that the crocadog was reliving itself on Kor's staff. Jak and Daxter both chuckled at the sight. Kor did not seem amused. "Frankly, I don't believe it exists…" Kor picked up his staff and shook it gently to get the liquid off it. "But you might as well go to the Dig and disrupt his operation just in case. Knock down all the scaffolding at the site, that should set him back. You do have an Air Train pass, right?"

"No." Jak answered, confused. "What's an Air Train?"

Kor blinked. "An Air Train will take you to areas outside the City wall, like the Dig." Kor motioned to the Kid, who began to rummage around in his pockets. "Here's an Air Train pass to get you out there." Kor said at the Kid produced a gray-colored pass.

Jak walked up to the Kid and took the pass out of his hands. Time seemed to slow to a drag and a strange voice filled Jak's head.

"Noaua Yhip eaaqi Mkqkua

Noaua Qukiq eaaqi Yhsv

Qoa xhrhvja lm mhqa ohvzi

Qoa jfjra jlvqsvkai hzhsv."

Jak understood the words perfectly, since Samos had taught him the Ancient Language, for that was the language the voice used, long ago. However, just because he understood it, didn't mean he knew what it meant exactly. The voice had said: 'Where past meets future/ Where trust meets pain/ The balance of fate hangs/ The cycle continues again.' What the hell did that mean?

Jak's hand drew away from the Kid. "Okay, what was that?" He demanded.

"What was what?" Daxter asked.

"That voice!" Jak practically yelled, while everyone stared at him. "It spoke in the Ancient Language! Something about the past and the future and the balance of fate… or something like that…"

"Jak… are you alright?" Daxter asked. "I didn't hear any voice."

"I—I don't know anymore." Jak said.

* * *

It wasn't three seconds after Jak stepped out of the Air Train than the TalkBox sprang out of his pocket. "Jak!" Krew's voice said. "Come straight to the Hip Hog, eh. I've got a new job for you." Krew then hung up before Jak could reply.

"Great, another job from Mr. Fatso." Jak grumbled. "Will it never end?"

"Doubt it." Daxter said as Jak stole a zoomer and began to head tow the Hip Hog.

Jak entered the bar to find Krew admiring some of the pictures that he had hung up. Jak kept his eyes firmly away from the pictures of Krew. He had no wish to have a sickness relapse.

"Years ago…" Krew began. _Great… a history lesson._ Jak thought to himself. "When I was an art… 'collector' I hit the local museum to… 'borrow' a famous statue of Mar, the founder of Haven City. In his hands, the statue held the Ruby Key to the City. An artifact of surpassing beauty, and of coarse, priceless worth, eh!"

"I just love art!" Daxter piped up.

Krew ignored him. "While smuggling the huge statue through the sewers, eh, a grueling rainstorm flooded the place. The statue… and five of my best men… were swept away."

Jak blinked, horrified at the fate of those five men. "That's terrible." He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Yes, a tragic loss." Krew sighed heavily. "I've missed that statue ever since." Jak blinked again, then decided he'd just pretend that he didn't hear that. Krew growled angrily. "The sewers have been so full of water, Metal-Heads and different types of security that I can't get anyone to go down there and retrieve the artifact! But you're special, Jak… YOU can do it."

"Jak?" Daxter demanded. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" Daxter would regret this comment almost instantly.

"Oh, don't I wish!" Krew began to lick his fingers noisily. Both Jak and Daxter's faces were etched in pure disgust. "Now, go down into the sewers, drain the water, and find that statue at the bottom. Bring back the Ruby Key artifact. It'll open up doors beyond our wildest dreams, eh!"

Jak rolled his eyes and sighed. "Great, more mucking in the mud."

"I'd hate to burst your bathtub bubbles, baby, but that ain't just mud down there." Daxter commented.

Jak gagged loudly. "Don't remind me."

* * *

After draining the sewers and heading back to the main chamber in which the statue was located, Jak and Daxter stood at the base of the statue of Mar. They could see the Ruby Key sticking out of the top of some sort of war-staff the great King carried. However, this meant that there was no way in hell that Jak was going to make it up there to get the Key.

"Dax?" Jak asked, pointing at the Key.

Daxter sighed. "Fine. Just because you can't get your fat body up there to get it yourself." Daxter scaled the statue as Jak rolled his eyes.

Daxter made it to the Ruby Key with little effort. Once there, he began to try and tug the Key from it's setting, but his little muscles just couldn't do it. "Come on, Dax! You can do it!" Jak encouraged from far below. Finally, Daxter gave a mighty tug and the Key popped loose. However, the sudden action surprised Daxter and he accidentally catapulted it into the air. Jak saw the Key go flying and he made a diving catch for it. Just before it hit the ground and shattered to a million pieces, he caught it right out of the air. He hit the ground hard, but the Key was safe and sound. Jak got up off the ground, holding the Key. "Got it!" He proclaimed, holding the Key up to prove it was still in one piece. "Where would you be without me, eh Dax?" Jak winked up at his furry friend.

"Well, Jak, I definitely wouldn't be short, fuzzy, and running around in the sewers without a pair of pants!" Daxter paused, then sighed. "God, I miss pants."


	27. The "Happy" Reunion

It came as a blessed relief when the Duo stepped out of the smelly sewers and into the dirty, polluted City air. Well, both smelled pretty bad, but given the choice, Jak would choose the polluted air any day.

"So… what now?" Jak asked.

"Hey, I know! Let's go visit your girlfriend!" Daxter suggested.

Jak stared at Daxter. "What? I don't have a girlfriend."

"Of coarse you do! Remember that mechanic girl you flirted with?" Daxter asked. "You were TOTALLY digging her!"

"No, I wasn't!" Jak lied.

"She did give you the JetBoard." Daxter said slowly. "Perhaps she likes you…"

"I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that she gave me the JetBoard because I'm working for the Underground." Jak pointed out.

"But she did let you keep it." Daxter ventured. "Maybe you could impress her by telling her how you destroyed those Metal-Heads!"

Jak sighed. "Fine, but only to prove that NO girl is interested in a Dark Eco Freak like me."

* * *

A short drive later, the duo ended up at the Stadium, in front of the mechanic's garage. "Go on…" Daxter urged quietly.

Jak took a deep breath and walked into the garage toward the curtain from which he could see her silhouette. Jak cleared his throat to get her attention.

"What?" Came an exasperated voice from behind the curtain. "Who's there?"

"It's us…" Jak began. "From the Underground."

"Krew's boys." The woman said casually.

"We destroyed those Metal-Head scouts…" Jak began, but the woman behind the curtain cut him off.

"Great, I'll send you a metal." She said sarcastically. "Now, if you DON'T mind, I'm on a deadline, so SCRAM!" She ordered.

Jak started to lose his already fragile temper. "Are you always this difficult?" He demanded.

Daxter, realizing the potential danger, took over. "Let me handle this." He told Jak, jumping off Jak's shoulder. "Listen lady…" He said, turning towards the curtain. "We beat your stupid course… and we can out-race anybody in the dumb City!"

Behind the curtain, the mechanic, Keira, lifted up her face shield in shock. "Wait… that voice…" She gasped. Could it be? After all her years of searching?

"Now there's just two things you need to know!" Daxter said. "One: We don't wanna join your stinkin' race team! And two: You just lost a date with Orange Lightning!" Daxter turned to leave. "Let's go, Jak." Both he and Jak turned to leave when the curtain finally opened and Keira stepped out into view.

"Daxter! It is you!" Keira screamed with delight.

Both Jak and Daxter froze, and then spun around. "Keira?" They both gasped at the same time.

Indeed it was Keira! She looked older than Jak remembered but, then again, it had been two years since they last saw one another. He wasn't a seventeen-year-old boy and she wasn't a sixteen-year-old girl anymore. He was nineteen and she was eighteen. He had changed so dramatically… Jak was suddenly filled with embarrassment. She hadn't even looked at him yet.

"Oh, I never thought I'd be so happy to see your furry mug!" Keira pinched Daxter's furry cheeks. Suddenly, she stood up and threw herself at Jak, pulling the surprise elf into a tight embrace. "Oh, Jak!" She cried as she embraced him. Jak slowly returned the embrace in a rather awkward way while Daxter laughed silently to himself. After a few seconds, Keira pulled out of Jak's arms. "And Jak, you look…" Keira paused. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was the same face on all the wanted posters. She had been telling herself for months that it somehow wasn't HER Jak that was accused of all those murders. But how could she deny it when the evidence stood right before her eyes. "Different…" Keira finished her sentence lamely.

"It's…" Jak paused at the look on Keira's face. He suddenly realized that she didn't know he could speak. She obviously couldn't believe that Jak had actually said something that was intelligent, not the usual grunts that he was forced to make as a mute. "It's been a tough ride…" Jak finished with equal lameness.

"Jak…" Keira began. "When…?"

But Keira's question, which was probably 'When did you learn to talk?', was cut short by Daxter. "I busted Old Jak out of prison here a few months ago. The Baron was pumping our boy here full of Dark Eco…" Jak's embarrassment increased when he watched Keira take a step back from him, as if he were a bomb set to explode. "And the Dark Eco did something to him! Now he's got 'super moves' or something…" Daxter paused before adding the next words in a whisper. "And a few anger issues as well."

Keira glanced at Jak, her eyes full of… disappointment? Jak could hardly bare it. Finally, Keira spoke again. "I've been looking for you guys forever!" She looked back towards the curtain. Through a small gap, Jak could see some sort of machinery. "And planning a way to get us back home. Somehow that rift took us far into the future… about five hundred years into the future."

"Wait! Are you saying the year is…?" Daxter began, but Keira answered.

"Two thousand, two hundred and sixty-nine." Keira said. Then, she instantly launched into a technical explanation… so Keira-like. "I've calculated the time-displacement and I think I've figured out a how to send us back home by…"

Jak interrupted her. "We found your father." He said. Keira instantly stopped and stared at Jak, who scratched the back of his neck while he drowned in even more embarrassment. "Well… sort of…" Jak corrected.

"He's working with the Underground, fighting the Baron." Daxter said while he shadow-boxed some invisible foes. "But he's… ah…"

"What?" Keira asked, worried about her father.

"You need to see him." Jak said. He wasn't able to explain exactly what was wrong with Samos. Amnesia was his guess. It probably would be better if Keira met him herself. "But, most importantly, I need to get to the Baron." Jak could hear the old vengeful rage creeping back into his voice. It seemed to put Keira off even more.

"You could try to win the Class One Racing Championship." Keira said. "The winner of that big race always gets to meet the Baron in the Palace. The only problem is that you have to qualify for the big race by winning the lower Class races." Keira paused, then her face brightened. "There's a Class Three race starting soon. You can drive for my team. But, Jak, we should think about getting out of here." Keira took off the face shield. "I don't like this place very much, and some of the people are creepy…"

Jak was about to reply when Keira's face blanked. She was looking over his shoulder, so Jak turned around and saw Krew floating into the Garage. "Jak, I NEED that Ruby Key you found, eh. A special client has requested it."

"Sorry about that, Krew." Jak said, retrieving the Ruby Key from his pocket. "I must've forgotten." Jak tossed the Ruby Key to Krew.

"Right." Krew said as he caught the Key, glared at it with his one good eye, before hovering out.

Jak turned around to resume his conversation with Keira only to find her getting out her TalkBox. "Oh, sorry Jak, but I have to call the Race Director and tell him that Bease Racing is back in this afternoon's line up. Sit down."

Jak found it really strange that, after two years apart, Keira was acting as though it were only yesterday when they last saw each other. Never the less, Jak sat down on the small couch in the corner of the Garage while Keira spoke with the Race Director.

"Can you believe…?" Jak began quietly as Daxter took a place by his side.

"No. She totally hugged you!" Daxter began. "And SHE was the one you were flirting with! Keira, of all people!"

"I know…" Jak said.

"And you totally…"

"Dax! Be quiet!" Jak hissed at Daxter as Keira walked back into the Garage.

"All set. You're set to be at the starting line in one hour or so." Keira said.

"One problem." Jak said. "In case you haven't heard, I'm in a bit of trouble…"

"A bit of trouble?" Daxter repeated. "That's the biggest understatement of all time."

"The POINT is that the Stadium is going to be full of Krimzon Guards." Jak said. "If they find me, I'm… well… dead."

Keira listened quietly. "I'll think of something." She paused, and nobody said anything for about ten seconds. "Jak, could I talk to you… alone?" She stared pointedly at Daxter.

"Not wasting a second, huh?" Daxter commented. Jak's eyes narrowed dangerously. Daxter sighed. "Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted. I'll be outside messing with the Guards." Daxter left.

Keira sat on the couch, a good two feet from Jak. "Jak, I…" Jak listened quietly, waiting for Keira to continue. "I want to know what has happened to you." She pointed to a wanted poster on the wall that Jak recognized as his own.

Jak took his eyes off Keira, leaned forward, and stared at his feet for almost a full minute before replying. "The last two years have not been so kind to me."

"What happened? Where were you? I must've looked everywhere."

Jak sighed before answering. "Prison."

"Prison?" Keira repeated. "What did you do to end up in there?"

"Nothing." Jak answered. "Unless standing in a confused sort of way in the middle of the street is a crime in this city."

"When did you learn to talk?" Keira asked. "I've never heard of a mute learning to speak before."

"On one of my first days in prison there was… an accident." Jak said. "I looked at a guard in a way that he thought was disrespectful. He tried to hit me in the face with the butt of a rifle." Keira gasped. "I tried to dodge the blow, but the gun hit my throat instead." Jak suddenly grabbed his throat as a memory of the pain he endured for his voice hit him full force. After several seconds, Jak could continue. "After that… I was able to speak. Not very well for the first few weeks, but I eventually was able to speak normally."

"Jak?" Keira said, looking for a second at the poster on the wall. "I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you are not a murderer."

Jak winched. He knew this request was going to come sooner or later. But now that it had been asked, he would've preferred later. He couldn't even look Keira in the face. "I can't." He said quietly.

"What?" Keira asked, horrified.

"I can't deny… that I killed all those people." Jak said. Then he knew he had to justify himself in Keira's eyes, explain to her why he had become a monster. "Keira, you have no idea what sort of things happened to me in prison. It was kill or be killed. I made my choice, I chose to live. I killed the people that would've killed me before they could get a chance to."

"Jak… I…" Keira couldn't seem to get any words to come out. Finally, she spoke, but in an angry tone. "Jak, I can't believe you! All those times that I heard that you were a murderer, I just told myself that MY Jak was too kind, too good, to purposely take someone else's life! All those times Erol…"

Jak's gaze suddenly shot up to Keira. "Erol? You know him?"

"Of coarse, he's the top racer in the City." Keira said. "And don't you DARE try to change the subject, Jak! How could you murder those people?"

"Keira…" Jak began desperately. "You've got to believe me that I would've died if I didn't become stronger, if I didn't adapt. Besides, half of those murders weren't technically committed by me…"

"But you just said…" Keira began."

"I know what I said! But I'd rather not talk about it right now." Jak said, then he desperately made another attempt at changing the subject. "So, how are we going to hide my identity out on the track?"

Keira paused, thinking. "Wait here." She got up and left to get something, leaving Jak alone on the couch. The young elf sighed heavily. _Well… I guess that could've gone worse…_ Jak thought to himself.

When Keira returned, she was carrying a package with such delicacy that it could have been some sort of holy relic. She sat back down on the couch, and Jak noticed at she sat much closer to him this time. "What's that?" He asked.

Keira opened the package to reveal a racing outfit, helmet and all. It was blue in color and it had a 'T' sewn onto both shoulders. The mask resembled the one that Erol had, except this one covered the entire head instead of just the face. Jak picked it out of the box to get a good look at the 'T'. "Who did it belong to?" He asked.

"My former racer, Tigran." Keira answered. "He got me the job and was a good friend." Keira didn't feel it necessary to tell Jak that Tigran had fallen in love with her, or that she had kissed him as he lay dying.

"Was?" Jak repeated, picking up the helmet and examining it. "What happened?"

"There was an accident." Keira said sadly. "He was in the Class One racing Championship last year. He was doing great… winning, in fact. Then, without warning, the zoomer exploded. He was badly burned. He… might've lived if the outer covering of the zoomer didn't nail him to the track. He died there."

"That's… horrible." Jak said, putting the helmet back into the box

"Well, he was a racer. He couldn't ask from anything more than to die on the track." Keira said sadly. "I've been without a driver ever since because people think that Bease Racing is cursed."

"Cursed? Why is that?" Jak asked.

"About a month before Tigran's death…" Keira began. "The original owner Mr. Bease, was murdered right here in the Garage. No culprit was ever found." Keira sighed. "Bease Racing has been down and out ever since."

"So, where have you been staying in this hell-hole?" Jak asked casually. "You don't sleep here in the garage, do you?"

"Oh, no." Keira said. "When I landed here a year ago, I was taken in by a nice woman named Carla, a widow who lives in the Slums."

"Lucky you." Jak said sourly. "I got picked up by Mr. Evil Bastard."

Keira ignored this last comment. She pushed the package into Jak's hands. "There. Put it on." She pointed to a door that Jak assumed lead to a back room or something. Jak got up from the couch and headed for the door to change.

* * *

When Jak emerged from the bathroom, Daxter had already ventured back into the garage. "Whoa! Who are you?" Daxter asked, clearly not recognizing Jak wit the blue racing outfit and the full-head helmet, which would protect his identity.

"Dax, it's me." Jak said taking off the helmet.

"Jak!" Keira walked back into the Garage. Once she was in view, she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the elf before her.

"What?" Jak asked when he noticed that Keira was staring at him.

"Oh… nothing." Keira quickly said. "Just a little deja-vu."

"Tell me about it." Jak said, remembering his own deja vu experiences.

"Oh, right. I have to teach you how to drive the racing zoomers." Keira said.

"Wait a minute!" Jak began hotly. "I already know how to drive!"

"No doubt." Keira said coolly. "But racing zoomers are very different from the old A-Gav zoomer or even the zoomers here in Haven." Keira patted a strange-looking zoomer. "This is a Class Race-regulation zoomer. It's faster than a regular zoomer, but you can make it go even faster by collecting turbos on the track, they are pink… don't ask me why. The zoomer can hold three turbos at a time. When you have a turbo, press this button…" She pointed to a red button on the zoomer's control panel. "And you'll get a temporary burst of speed to get you over gaps or pass other racers on a straight-a-way."

"Wow!" Daxter exclaimed, impressed. "Just how long have you had this job?" Daxter asked.

"Two years." Keira answered before going back to explaining. "There are traps and gaps in the track. If you fall down into one, you won't be coming back to tell the tale, so jump them or go around them. Also, my zoomer isn't indestructible, so it will blow up if you bang it up too much."

"Wait… are we talking about racing or a gladiator fight?" Daxter asked.

"Both." Keira answered. "Now, purposely forcing another racer off the track or into a pit is illegal, but no one really follows the rules any more, so watch out for that. Taking shortcuts, however, is perfectly legal. If you find one, take it as often as possible."

"Anything else I need to know?" Jak asked.

"Er… yes." Keira paused before continuing. "I signed you up under a different name."

"What?"

"Only when you're racing, though." Keira said. "I'm sure you've noticed that 'Jak' isn't a very common name around here. So even knowing that your name is 'Jak' will arouse suspicion."

"I've noticed." Jak said, thinking about the weird looks he got every time he told someone that his name was 'Jak.' The Precursor worshipers had basically tabooed the name, so no one used it.

"So, what's my name then?" Jak asked.

Keira paused for several seconds before answering. "Seth." She said simply.

Jak shrugged. The name was okay. "Seth, it is."

"Oh, look at the time!" Keira looked up at the clock. "It's time to go."

"Already?" Jak demanded. Time hardly seemed to have pasted. But, sure enough, an hour was almost up.

Sure enough, a second later, an announcement came over the speakers. "Attention all citizens: The Class Three Races is about to begin. To all racers: Please report to the track immediately."

"Go!" Keira urged, pushing Jak through a door in the back marked 'To the Track.' Jak barely had time to put on his helmet again before he was thrust out into view. "Racer Number Eight!" Keira hissed in his ear before shutting the door, she and Daxter would watch the race from elsewhere. The announcer was going over the races and the format of the races on the loud speaker.

"As you all know, the races will be divided into several separate races. The winners in each race will advance to the Class Two Races to be held in a few months." A pause. "And the big surprise of the day is the late entry of female-run Bease Racing! A Mr. Seth will be riding for the team! Incidentally, last year, Bease Racing was the favorite to win the Championship. However, after the untimely death of racer, Tigran, it looked like Ms. Keira's team would never recover…"

Jak didn't listen anymore. Instead, he walked straight towards the Racing Zoomer marked 'Number 8'. Once he was seated, he glanced up at the audience. At once, he spotted Keira, sitting in a special box, with Daxter at her side.

Finally, after ages of announcements, and all the racers were seated. (Jak noticed that Erol was not in this race. He could only assume Erol would compete in another race later that day.) The announcer began the formalities.

"Welcome to the Class Three Races to take place this day of June 27, 2269! Drivers, start your engines!" The air was suddenly full of the sound of roaring engines. Jak started his own engine with ease.

Jak then noticed that all the other racers were looking up in the stands and Jak followed suite. Baron Praxis was standing up in a special, private box. Jak could clearly make out the form of that bastard, Erol, sitting on his right side. Ashelin sat to her father's left. She was the Baron's daughter, after all, and she was forced to attend these events with her father. Seeing the Baron and Erol made Jak deeply regret leaving his gun back in Keira's garage. _This whole mess could've been finished here._ Jak growled to himself, but no one heard him. The full-head mask succeeded in muffling sound, but the negative side-effect was that it made it slightly hard from Jak to breathe. But it was slightly too late to regret leaving his weapon behind as the Baron gave a single nod, his approval from the race to begin.

A small hovering device floated just over the track before the racers. The light on the face turned red, then yellow, and then, finally, green. All the racers were off with a roar of engines and the deafening cheers of the crowd.

Almost immediately, most of the racers gravitated to the left side of the track as the first turn came, a mistake on their part. Jak was the one racer that took the turn on the inside, thus he spilled out of the very first turn in first place!

His luck did not last long at all. The man in second place was an ex-Krimzon Guard who was seriously amoral and lacked the capacity to feel pity (Much like Jak himself). As fate would have it, he was also very fast. This man caught up to Jak just before the next to the left by coming up on Jak's right. As soon as he was side-by-side with the elf, he slammed his own zoomer into Jak's in an attempt to drive him into a wall. Jak managed to recover a split-second before he became smeared on the wall. Keira's bike defiantly got scratched up a little.

Once Jak's eyes were on the track again, he saw the perfect opportunity for revenge. A large gap filled most of the next area. One would have to make a sharp turn to the right to avoid flying into the abyss.

Jak looked to his left and saw, to his delight, the racer was still there. "So, you wanna play dirty?" Jak demanded loudly over the roar of the race. The man didn't answer, so Jak yelled: "Fine!"

Instead of simply running the man off the road, Jak kicked out at the front end of the zoomer, sending the man into a spin. Caught in the spin, and trying desperately trying to get back under control, he couldn't anticipate the right turn nor execute it. He sailed right off the edge of the track into the darkness below.

In the middle of the turn, Jak picked up one of the small, pink turbos and it registered on the zoomer's display. However, Jak wasn't about to use it in a curvy area, where he could easily run full-tilt into a wall.

After several turns Jak came across a small gap. This one had a ramp, so it was easily jumped. Jak cross in without incident but the explosions just behind signaled that this statement was not true for all the races.

Almost as soon as he crossed the gap, another racer came racing up from behind, passed Jak, and was off. For a second, Jak wondered how that man could've passed him with so little effort. Then he ran over another turbo and the answer became clear. He had used a turbo to bypass him. Jak decided it was time to hit the unfortunate racer with his own medicine.

The racer's turbo wore out quickly and the racer returned back to a speed that was slightly less than Jak's, showing that his zoomer wasn't was well put together as Jak's. Silently complimenting Keira for her zoomer work, Jak made the decision to hang back and surrender first place around the next few turns. Then, they were at a straightaway and Jak made his move.

Opening the throttle fully, Jak tore past the racer and lined up straight in front of him. Then Jak pushed the red button on the display, activating a turbo.

The turbo shot Jak forward, but not before throwing a jet of flame straight down the racer's main engine. No type of engine was built to withstand this sort of abuse, and the man's zoomer was not that well put together anyway. The zoomer exploded in a pretty big firework display. If Jak was lucky, then the explosion brought down more than one racer.

Jak passed the starting line to signal the end of one lap. One lap down, and four racers, at least, were already down. No wonder Daxter had called this a gladiatorial fight! It was… on zoomers…! Jak completed the first few turns, picking up another turbo as he went.

As Jak approached the big gap room he had a strange thought. _Was it possible to jump the gap?_ It would allow him to totally bypass the curve and give him a good lead. However, if he misjudged the jump, or his zoomer's abilities, he would fall down into the same abyss that he had sent that other racer.

Jak only had seconds to decide. And he decided to go for it. As he got close he pushed the turbo button and shot out across the gap. It looked an awful long way once Jak was flying over the gap. He held his breath, praying to any Gods that were listening to help him make it across.

Thankfully for Jak, the Gods decided to smile on him… for once, as Jak landed safely on the other side.

"Ha! Try to catch me now!" Jak laughed as he shot off to complete the last four laps.

* * *

Jak was the first to cross the finish line, followed by the other three racers out of the original eight who managed to survive.

"And the winner of the first round of the Class Three Races is…" The announcer paused for dramatic effect. "Seth!" Everyone cheered as Jak's fake name rang throughout the Stadium. Jak awkwardly waved up at the cheering crowd, his helmet still on, causing him slight discomfort as it was doubly hard to breathe now that he had worn it for a while. He was also painfully aware that the crowd would not be cheering for him if they knew his true identity. Jak the murderer. Jak the renegade. Jak the Dark Eco Freak. Jak the monster.

Jak quietly accepted the small bronze Class Three trophy from a man that Jak assumed was the Racing Director. Once he had the trophy, he turned to walk away; only to find his path blocked by a familiar face.

 _Speak of the devil…_ Jak thought to himself. It was none other than Erol, the mega-bastard. Jak wondered for a second if he was there to arrest him, but then he realized that he had a full-head helmet and a fake name to protect him. There was no way for Erol to recognize him unless he gave himself away.

Erol studied the helmet, as thought trying to see through it. "So… ah… Seth, right?" He asked.

"Yes." Jak said, changing his voice slightly, making it deeper than normal.

Erol gave him a long stare, but Jak didn't say anything. "That was an excellent race today."

Jak decided to play dumb was the best option he had. "You're Erol, the Baron's right-hand man and the Champion of racing, right?"

"Why yes." Erol said with a look of pride. "And I suppose you are going to be the one to take my racing title away from me."

"Why yes." Jak said, impersonating Erol's pompous attitude. (He couldn't help it.)

Erol frowned, all fake-cheerfulness gone to hell. "I'd watch out if I were you. The last person who told me that died a horrible death. You'll go the same way as your predecessor: burned, pinned, and no one at your side but little Ms. Keira!"

"You are the one who should watch yourself, Erol." Jak hissed back. "Your enemies may be closer than you think. Remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Erol laughed out loud as he stalked away. Jak watched Erol's back, thinking that maybe he had gone too far. As he watched Erol leave, an anger festered deep in his gut' he imagined a laser-sight playing across Erol's back. Jak's gun, however, was still inside Keira's garage. With a sigh, he turned to head there.

Jak placed the small bronze trophy next to the others in Keira's collection. "When is this City gonna provide some challenge, huh?" Daxter asked no one in particular.

"Funny, it was Jak I saw racing, not you." Keira pointed out.

"Oh, sure, go all technical on me." Daxter pouted as Jak removed the helmet with a gasp.

"Damn, how are you supposed to breathe in these things?" He asked. "I can't race if I pass out from lack of oxygen."

"Tigran hated it too." Keira said. "Most racers that use them do complain. However, it's necessary to protect your identity."

"I get it." Jak said. "But it doesn't mean I have to like the damn thing." Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps and everyone looked up to see Ashelin walking into the garage. With a jolt, Jak realized he had removed the helmet, but he was still in the racing outfit. "Crap!" Jak swore.

Ashelin took one glance at Jak's clothing. "I knew it." Then she must've noticed the look on Jak's face because she added. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"Oh… okay then…" Jak said uncertainly.

"I saw your race today." Ashelin said. "You were pretty amazing out there."

Jak suddenly grew embarrassed again, but he wasn't sure why. "Oh… um… thanks." He said, scratching the back of his neck. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Keira was walking up to him. He suddenly realized that they didn't know each other. "Oh, Keira… this is Ashelin…" He pointed at the female. "She's just…"

But Keira interrupted. "Everyone knows who she is."

 _So much for that._ Jak turned to Ashelin. "And Keira's a…"

But once again, he was interrupted by Keira. "A friend. A _very good_ friend."

Jak looked back and forth between the two females, a little unsure of what was going on. But one thing he was sure of… Keira had described herself as 'a _very good_ friend'. And that look in her eyes… could it be? Jealousy?

Ashelin ignored Keira and turned to face Jak. "I never thanked you for helping out with that ambush. You saved my life." Ashelin turned to walk out the door. Keira glared accusingly at Jak, who shrugged to show her that he didn't have a clue what was going on. He had been lost since Ashelin walked through the door. Ashelin paused just short of the door. "I'm not like my father, you know." She said. "Ever since I was a little girl, I would look down on the streets from that RIDICULOUS Palace… and I dreamed of a better place…" Two Krimzon Guards walked by, attracting everyone's attention. "By the way, they're hunting for you." She turned to face Jak. "If I were you, I'd watch out from Erol. I can't protect you from him." Ashelin then proceeded to walk out the door.

Finally, Daxter spoke. "Whew! She's a betty!" His eyes widened as he, unlike Jak, realized what had been going on for the past few minutes. "And she _likes_ you, Jak! Not that I can account for her tastes." Daxter winked boyishly and Jak got a horrible sense of foreboding. Something horrible was about to pop out of Daxter's mouth. He wasn't disappointed. "I bet you'd love to pin some metals on her chest, huh?"

Jak was, in short, horrified. He glanced at Keira just in time to see the hurt radiating from her eyes. The pain was quickly replaced by anger. Without a word to Jak, Keira turned around and began to storm out of the garage. "Keira! Wait!" Jak called after her, but she wouldn't turn around. Jak spun around and glared at Daxter. If looks could kill, Daxter would've been drawn, quartered, blown up, and then flushed down the toilet.

"What? What did I say? What did you say, Jak?" Daxter asked, noticing Jak's murderous look.

"Dax, you… Can't you see…?" But Jak was apparently too angry to finish his thoughts. "Damn you, Dax!" Jak swore, stomping out of the garage. "Damn you!"

Daxter hesitated only a second before following Jak. "Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."


	28. The Blind Leadth

The ride to their next destination was filled with awkward silence. (And in Jak's case, an angry silence.) Daxter had gone and ruined his reunion! Sure, he didn't pretend that it had gone completely peachy, but some things that Keira said gave him hope that she was willing for forgive and forget and let things go back to the way they were before this whole mess. 'A VERY GOOD friend', Keira had used those exact words to describe her relationship with Jak. And now Daxter seen to it that Keira thought that Jak and Ashelin were a couple. Even IF Jak somehow managed to find time for a girlfriend, how could Keira think that he would forget about her? She was one of his best friends, more of a sister, and he would never let any other woman come between him and Keira.

No matter. Jak's destination was the Hip Hog. If he was lucky, he might have time for a drink or something before Krew sent him into the Sewers or someplace. Now, Jak had never drank a drop of alcohol in his life… but he suddenly felt like he needed to get that oblivious feeling that Daxter said you got when you got really drunk.

It was still too early for the bar to be full. When Jak walked in, followed by Daxter who hadn't gathered the courage to jump onto his usual place on Jak's shoulder, he saw only Tess, Sig, and one or two regulars.

Jak walked over to the bar and, ever cautious about his 'mirror' issues, Jak seated himself at the very edge of the bar, just beyond where the mirror ended. Maybe the two drunk elves could see his reflection if they cared to look. But no one was going to believe that two drunk men saw a demon in a bar. Most would just assume they were not seeing straight.

"Tess?" Jak caught the female bartender's attention.

"Oh, hey, Jak. Hi, Daxter." She said as the orange rat climbed up onto the counter. "How are things?"

Jak ignored her question. "What do you got that's good?" Jak asked.

It was then that Tess noticed the angry/slightly upset look on Jak's face. "Oh, I think I know just the thing." Tess walked away rather hurriedly.

"Hey, cherries!" Sig called over. "Bad day?" He asked, walking over to join the dark elf at the bar.

Jak growled angrily in the Ottsel's direction. "You could say that."

Sig didn't know what had happened to make the elf mad at his friend, and he had a feeling that he didn't need to know. Tess brought Jak a drink that was about the same color as mud. Jak grabbed the mug and drained about half the substance before stopping for a coughing fit. Sig laughed. "First time drinker, huh?"

While Jak was coughing, Daxter stood up on the bar, being very careful to keep his distance from Jak. "Let me tell you guys about my latest encounter with some Metal-Heads!" Jak stopped coughing and rolled his eyes. Here comes Daxter's Tall Tale of the Day. "So there I was! Toe-to-tow with _five_ of the nastiest Metal-Heads you've ever seen!" Tess covered her mouth like she was horrified. If there was one thing that Jak didn't believe more than Daxter's tall tales, it was that Tess believed them. "Slime oozing from monstrous jaws! Teeth sharper than daggers! Slowly, all _ten_ of them surround me!" Sig and Jak looked at each other in an exasperated sort of way. Ten seconds ago, there had only been five Metal-Heads. "But do I surrender? No! I summon my highly trained killer instincts, and I pounced!" Daxter pulled off a series of martial arts poses while making the martial arts battle sounds. "And when the dust cleared there were _twenty_ less Metal-Heads in the world!"

Even the new post-slammer Jak would at least crack a smile and laugh at Daxter's tall tale. But the current Jak was just too angry with the little fur-ball to find anything he said even remotely funny. The only thing he did was take another drink and scowl.

"Oh, Daxter, you're amazing." Tess sighed with pure admiration.

"Yeah, I know." Daxter said. "Scratch me there." Daxter pointed at his back. Tess giggled and began to scratch him.

"Quite a story you've got there, golden boy." Sig said. "I guess you're just the animal I need for another dangerous gig." Daxter visibly stiffened. Jak knew instantly that Daxter never expected to get a dangerous mission. It didn't matter, however, Jak knew, whatever it was, the he'd be the one who ended up doing the dirty work. "Combat Metal-Heads have now been spotted right here in Haven Forest. These new bad boys use special cloaking devices which make them damn-near impossible to spot and track. But I'm sure with your 'killer instincts' you'll manage. Go out to the forest and take 'em all out!"

It seemed for a second that Daxter was petrified with fear. Finally, he came too. "Haven Forest? Invisible Metal-Heads?" Daxter squeaked, like a mouse that had been trodden on. "Uh… no problem… piece of cake, really! I'm… just going to take Jak along… as back-up, of coarse."

Tess seemed to be the only person in the room that believed that Jak was only going as back up. Everyone else, especially Jak, knew that he was going to do all the dangerous stuff.

"Good man." Sig said as Jak polished off the dark drown drink and got up to head to Haven Forest. A real let-down… Jak wasn't even properly drunk yet, not even impaired. Daxter got up to follow him.

* * *

By the time the duo reached the forest, Daxter had worked up enough courage to sit on Jak's shoulder again and Jak had cooled off enough to let him. To be honest, Jak didn't even know why he was so freaking mad. He usually at least had a reason for his anger, but this time, he couldn't explain it. And even the new Jak couldn't stay mad at people from no reason. He knew that he was upset about what happened to Keira, but friendships could be patched up quite easily. Jak knew that Keira couldn't just forget what they shared as children growing up. They were much more than friends! Surely, she couldn't forget that.

However, Jak pushed Keira out of his head. He could ponder her later. "Invisible Metal-Heads…" Jak said to himself. "How does one hunt invisible quarry?"

"You're asking me?" Daxter demanded. "You're the great sharpshooter and hero!"

"I was a hero a long time ago, Daxter." Jak said. "And besides, need I remind you that this is YOUR mission, Mr. 'Killer Instincts'."

"Don't mention that." Daxter said.

Jak pulled out the blaster and walked down to the lower level of the forest, eyes forever searching for the enemy. Except this time, the enemy was invisible.

Suddenly, and with absolutely no warning at all, a horrible pain blossomed in Jak's stomach. Jak, through the pain, realized that someone, or something, had just kicked him in the stomach… but there was nothing there! During this time, Jak had doubled up from the blow.

Almost immediately, some force smashed into his face, nearly breaking his nose. He then felt something grab the front of his shirt and throw him twenty through the air and into a tree. He hit the ground hard, pain rushing in waves from his general bodily area. Possible internal damage. Dark Eco rushed to fix the injuries, but Jak couldn't help a cry that escaped his lips as the Dark Eco painfully healed his injures.

"What's going on?" Jak looked up and he realized that Daxter had been thrown in the attack. But Jak didn't have any time to worry about Daxter. He knew what was happening. He was being attacked by the invisible Metal-Heads. It was amazing! The creature had snuck up on him, completely silent!

Jak looked up in hopes of seeing some sign of the Metal-Head, but he was sorely disappointed. He might as well had been trying to see the air. Suddenly, to his right, a twig snapped, seemingly on its own. That was all that Jak needed.

In an instant, Jak swept his foot across the ground, knocking the invisible force off its feet. Jak saw where the Metal-Head landed because the grass flattened under its weight. Jak was up in an instant and he kicked the monstrosity where its face should've been. He felt his foot connect with something and the Metal-Head gave a roar of pain.

"Jak!" Jak looked around in time to see Daxter heave a weapon at him, in Scatter Gun mode. Jak deftly caught the weapon and pointed the gun down at the Metal-Head's invisible mug.

"Eat this." Jak hissed cruelly before pulling the trigger. Suddenly, the creature's head effectively exploded as the bullets tore through its head, spraying Jak with green Metal-Head blood and slightly purplish brain-fluid. The rest of the body appeared. It seemed their consciousness controlled the cloaking device. So without a head, the cloaking device couldn't function.

The Cloaker was dead, but Jak heard another twig snap nearby, and it wasn't Daxter. Jak ran over and grabbed the Ottsel and, holding onto Daxter with one arm, he launched himself into the nearest tree, swinging up into the branches like an over-sized chiprel. (Chipmunk + Squirrel) Once he was on the highest branch that would still support his weight, Jak stopped and set Daxter down on the branch next to him.

"Whoa…" Daxter said, staring down at the ground… far below. "Why are we up a tree?"

"I need to think." Jak said simply.

"Are you stumped by these invisible enemies?" Daxter asked mockingly. In truth, though, he was stumped too.

"I can't believe it." Jak said to himself. "Completely invisible, damn-near impossible to hear… even with my enhanced senses. I can't even notice their approach until they do something stupid like step on a twig or something…"

"It is a pickle." Daxter said. "But maybe you shouldn't go with a 'If-I-can't-see-it-or-hear-it-than-it-isn't-so' attitude."

Jak blinked, then perked. "Of coarse! That's it! I'm depending far too much on my eyesight, which is useless to me on this mission. If you lose one sense, the other four are enhanced to make up for the loss!"

"Wait… are you going to blind yourself?" Daxter demanded. "Are you crazy? First you're a mute… What have you got against senses?"

"Nothing!" Jak said. "And, no, I won't blind myself. I happen to like my eyesight. I will simply close my eyes and hurt by my other senses alone."

"Now I know you're crazy." Daxter said. "I'm staying up here, you go play blind Hide-And-Seek with the invisible Metal-Heads below!"

"Fine. I'll come back and get you when I'm done." Jak said, dropping down from the tree.

"Yeah, you do that." Daxter said, settling into the branch in a semi-comfortable position. Thankfully for him, his strange DNA made him comfortable in the trees. Now, if only the otter part of his DNA made him more comfortable in the water rather than give him an insatiable appetite for fish. "Man, I'd really like some fish right now." Daxter moaned to himself.

Jak fell down thirty feet from the tree to the ground below and landed easily. He pulled out the blaster and turned off the laser-sight with a flick of a switch… he wouldn't need it.

He closed his eyes and, for several seconds, he was lost in darkness. Then, suddenly, the world came alive. The world was still dark, but he could sense things that he never could before. The birds grew louder in volume, he could hear the buzz of the insects, and he could even hear the wind blowing through the tree tops and estimate it's direction, and that was sound alone!

Jak could now sort of see what Onin meant when she said that she could see more than you ever could with eyes. There was much that the eyes couldn't see.

Jak stood still as a statue, he didn't even breathe until his lungs were screaming for air in fear that the sound of his own breathing would mask the telltale signs the Metal-Heads would make.

Suddenly, a sound! It wasn't much of a sound and Jak almost missed it. It was the sound of grass being flattened under a foot. That was the only sign he needed. Eyes still closed tight, He lifted the blaster and shot in the direction of the noise, hoping this plan would work.

The answer came in the form of a pain-filled roar that heralded that he had indeed hit a Metal-Head. Jak fired three more shots at the monster until it's roars died down. The whole thing took about five seconds and Jak never once opened his eyes.

"Go, Jakkie, go!" Daxter cheered from up in the tree. Suddenly, the bark right next to his head exploded, scaring the poor Ottsel out of his wits.

Jak lowered the smoking blaster, which he had just fired as close to Daxter as he dared. "Shut up… I can't hear." The dark elf hissed.

"Sorry." Daxter whispered as Jak resumed his blind hunt.

* * *

In Haven Palace, another man was on the hunt. Erol had found himself thinking back on the first round of the Class Three races. Something was bugging him about the new racer, that Seth. Something seemed familiar about him, but Erol couldn't place him for his life. But no matter how many times he told himself that this 'Seth' was a regular racer, he felt that he was lying to himself. Maybe it was because the racer had never removed his helmet. It was hard to breathe with a full-head helmet on the most racers that used one tended to remove it as soon as the race was over to avoid passing out. But this man put himself through obvious discomfort just to keep it on.

All and all, something didn't seem right. He didn't even FEEL right, like there was this darkness that infected the air around him.

Erol paused. Darkness? Could it be? There was only one way to make sure…

Erol ran to the record room. Which he barely set foot in, and began to tear through the newest racing records. Then he found it, a contract, signed by…

"The idiot!" Erol hissed, staring at the name. "I didn't expect him to be _that_ stupid!" Erol stuffed the contract into his pocket. (An illegal action, by the way. But since when has Erol cared about what is legal and what's not?) "Well, at least I know what is really up with this 'Seth'. Keira must know… it seems I have to step up my plans. Maybe I'll even be able to take out that fool the same way I took care of Tigran." Erol laughed to himself. "Poor Keira, two boyfriends lost to the sport in the same exact manner…"

* * *

It had been a half an hour since Jak started his blind hurt, during which, he had been attacked almost constantly. Now that the coast was clear, Jak stood underneath the tree where Daxter hid and was trying to coax his friend out of the tree, but to no avail.

"Come on, Dax, the coast is clear. I promise." Jak yelled up into the tree.

"How do you know?" Daxter called back down. "How can you tell when you can't even see the enemy?"

"There's no living thing in this forest that's going to hurt you, Dax!" Jak yelled. "Come on, Dax, this isn't funny anymore!"

"No way! I'm gonna get mauled!"

Jak sighed, and then walked over to a near-by stream. With a quick grabbing motion, Jak snatched a fish right out of the water. He walked back over to the tree, holding up the slimy fish. "Come down, Dax, I've got some nice sushi for you!"

"What type of idiot do you take me for, Jak?" Daxter demanded. "Deep-fry that fish, and _maybe_ I'll come down."

Jak growled and dropped the gasping fish, not really caring that it was dying from lack of oxygen. "Dax, don't make me come up there, or else there'll be hell to pay!"

Daxter went silent for a second, as if trying to decide whether Jak would hurt him or not. "You're lying. You couldn't hurt me… your best buddy…"

"Okay, let's pretend for a second, that I, for some reason, can't hurt you." Jak said. "But Dark would be more than happy to do it for me."

"D—Dark?" Daxter's voice trembled.

"Yeah, you really annoy him. He's been waiting to get you for some time. I'm about ready to let him have his way with you."

"Well, you tell Dark that I don't swing that way!" Daxter giggled.

Both Jak, and Dark deep within Jak's mind, blinked in surprise and horror. Dark used Jak's surprise to force is mind to the forefront. He didn't transform, but Dark was now controlling Jak's actions.

" **I'm going to kill you!** " Dark roared out of Jak's mouth.

"Jak? Jak?" Daxter called down.

Suddenly, he saw Jak scaling the tree with unnatural speed and agility… even for Jak. Suddenly, Jak was on the branch with Daxter and the demon-controlled Jak glared at Daxter, Dark Eco sparking from his eyes. " **You little rat!** " Dark hissed. " **If I could transform fully, I'd joyfully rip your guts out! Don't you ever make some smart comment about me again, or I will kill you!**"

"Jak?" Daxter asked nervously, for he didn't understand what was going on. He thought that it was all Jak who was threatening to transform and kill him.

Then the dark light in Jak's eyes died as Jak's mind retained control of his body. "Whoa!" Jak cried out when he found himself in a tree. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Daxter repeated angrily. "You tell me what happened! You threatened to kill me, you bastard! Now you're acting like nothing's happened?"

"What? I didn't threaten…"

"Don't play 'dumb blonde' with me!" Daxter yelled. "It was you!"

Jak's eyes widened in realization. "Oh…"

"What?" Daxter demanded angrily.

"Dark must've taken control of my body. I wondered what that little black-out was…" Jak said. "You did sort of offend him with your comment."

"So, now you're defending that monster?" Daxter demanded.

"Well, duh, we share bodies. That 'monster' is almost me. It is my Dark Side. It's a part of me. I'm rather upset myself!"

"Why? I was talking to Dark…"

"We are two sides of a personality, my alter-ego. If you accuse Dark of being gay, you're accusing me of being gay, and I'm not gay!" Jak said.

"So… wait… you two have the same sexual preferences?"

"Yeah."

"So… what are you?" Daxter asked.

Jak rolled his eyes. "Dax, what did I just tell you?"

"You're not gay?"

"Right, which means I'm…" Jak paused to give Daxter the chance to answer.

A long pause. "Bisexual?"

"Dax, you idiot!" Jak hissed. "Do I look even slightly gay to you?"

"Well… that goatee thing is sort of gay. And so is that long hair you've got…" Daxter said.

"Precursors! I can't even BELIEVE that I'm discussing my sexual preferences with you! Let's just get out of here."

Jak forfeited trying to coax Daxter out of the tree and went straight for the more direct route of grabbing Daxter and dropping out of the tree. "So, you're not going to kill me?" Daxter asked when they were on the ground again.

"No, I'm not." Jak said. "I've killed my friends before, and I find it slightly harder to do than just killing people I don't know. There are only three things in this world I want to kill: The Baron, Erol, and damn Metal-Heads."

"Metal-Heads? When did Metal-Heads get added to the list?"

"Since this mission. Those damn monsters annoy me to no ends. Besides, they are the ones that destroyed Sandover, remember?" Jak asked. "I can never forgive them for that…"

"You're right." Daxter said. "Hey, Jak, do you thing my parents survived the Metal-Head attack?"

Jak didn't answer for several minutes as he walked back out of the Forest. "I honestly don't know, Dax."

"Well, Dad wouldn't have gone down without a fight." Daxter said proudly. Jak remembered Daxter's father well. Daxter's father was one of the other few Channelers in the world besides himself. He wasn't as proficient of course, but he was talented with the combat-type Ecos. Daxter's father would've been the few that fought back. Jak often wondered why Daxter was a coward when his father had been such a warrior. It was probably his mother, a non-Channeler, she was a small woman who wasn't the bravest person in the world.

"I'm sure your father fought those monsters." Jak said. _But if he survived… we'll never know._

"Well, best not worry about that, ya know." Daxter said. "Don't worry, be happy."

"You know what? I envy you, Dax." Jak said suddenly.

Daxter blinked in surprise. "What? Are you serious?"

"Completely. You've managed to keep your happy-go-lucky attitude even in this Hell-hole." Jak said. "I used to be like that… but I just can't see the silver lining any more, all I see is darkness." Jak paused. "I envy you for that."

Daxter elbowed Jak's head lightly. "Ah, stop it, you're embarrassing me, ya big lug!"


	29. Finding The Tomb of Mar

As soon as Jak got back into the City proper they got a call from Pecker. "ARRKK! Jak, Onin wants to see you immediately in her hut! Get your heroic backside here NOW! Not whenever you fell like waltzing in, NOW!" The line disconnected before Jak could respond.

"Man, what do you think is happening that has old bird-brain in a twist?" Daxter asked.

"No clue." Jak said. "But I don't think it would be good for us to get that creepy old lady mad at us."

"Hey, do you remember what she said to you last time?" Daxter asked.

"Of coarse I do." Jak said, and then he recited.

"The Angel lives in Heaven

White without a Stain

The Angel falls out of Heaven

Into a life of Pain

The Angel yearns for Heaven

But instead is stuck in Hell

Will the Angel get back to Heaven?

Only the Angel can tell."

"You actually remembered that load of nonsense?" Daxter demanded.

"The damn thing got stuck in my head." Jak grumbled. "Come on, let's go." Jak hijacked a zoomer and took off towards the old soothsayer's hut.

* * *

Jak walked through the door of the hut, but stopped as he recognized a voice inside.

"Expecting that little boy to save us is folly!" It was Kor, talking to Onin and Pecker. "At his age, he's no match for the Metal-Head Leader." Kor turned around and saw Jak. "Oh, Jak… we were just discussing Samos' plan."

"No problem." Jak said. "I agree with you. Metal-Heads are tough, and I couldn't imagine how powerful the Leader must be. There's no way in Hell the Kid can take on the Leader."

Everyone in the room went strangely silent, as if they all knew something that Jak did not. It greatly annoyed the Dark elf. Finally, Onin began to sign, looking in Kor's direction. "Onin says your voice sounds very familiar, Master Kor. I'll bet you two golden oldies go way—way back, huh?" Jak was shocked to see a look of deep loathing cross Onin's ancient face. Then Onin began to sign again, but this time in Jak's direction. "Onin says that you have to prove yourself once again, Jak."

"Why?" Jak asked.

"Onin says that you've proved your brass and your brawn several times over." Pecker said while Onin mimed courageousness and strength. Jak grinned cockily. "But, now, you must show Onin that you've got a brain to go with all that muscle. To do this, you'll have to pass Onin's test."

"And what sort of thing will I get for passing this test?" Jak asked.

"Well, Onin has done some digging and she now has the lost pieces of the Grand Seal of Mar!" Pecker said. "Pass the test, and Onin will give you the pieces of the Seal of Mar."

* * *

(Fast Forward)

Jak passed the test and the Golden Seal pieces were revealed. Onin used her magical powers to put the pieces together. "Behold, the Seal of Mar is now complete!" Pecker said rather melodramatically. The Golden Seal floated into Jak's hands. He was surprised how it felt there, sort of like it was made to fit his hands. "Onin says that the artifacts you received from the Precursor Mountain Temple are relics from and ancient light tower. Old songs sang about how this Light Tower once shined down on the very site of Mar's Tomb! I'll sing one of the songs for you…"

"That's not really…" Jak began, but it was too late. Pecker was singing in a horribly out of tune voice. Pecker's voice hit Jak's ears like a hammer.

"From the Mists of Time Mar's light would shine!"

Kor dropped his staff in shock. The wood hit the floor with a clank and everyone flinched.

"Whoa, there Iron Lungs." Jak said, stopping Pecker's singing. "Just tell us what we need to do. And please, in a regular voice, not in song."

"Cretans without taste, huh?" Pecker demanded.

"Hey, at least I know the difference between music and noise." Jak said. "That was terrible."

Pecker spat on the ground angrily, thankfully not in Jak's direction or he would've been turned into fried moncaw. "You've got to use the Seal of Mar to open the gate into Mar's Canyon. Find the Light Tower then and use the artifacts to activate the ancient machinery. Only then will the Light Tower rise and reveal the Tomb's location to us.

"Great, and what happens afterwards?" Jak asked.

Onin began to sign. "After the Tomb is opened, then the Mar's one true heir will enter and face the Tests of Manhood." Pecker translated.

"But, why is this Tomb so important anyway? What use do we have for the rotted corpse of a long dead hero?" Jak asked.

"The legendary Precursor Stone is rumored to sleep within the Tomb, stupid!" Pecker mostly translated. " _I_ added the 'stupid' part. The Precursor Stone is a most ancient artifact of amazing power, in fact, it is rumored to be the most powerful thing the Precursors ever built."

"Sounds very powerful!" Daxter said.

"It is. The Heir of Mar must face the Ancient Oracle and the guardians of the Tomb. The Oracle alone must devise the cunning Tests of Manhood! The Heir of Mar alone must wield the Precursor Stone, thereby unleashing the…" Suddenly, Pecker stopped and yelled down at Onin. "Geez Louis, Fossil-Lady! Stop with the snooty mythic talk already, huh! You know that it hurts my lips!"

"Is this Precursor Stone the reason Praxis wants to find the Tomb so badly?" Jak asked.

Kor took over from there. "The Baron wants to use the Precursor Stone to rule the world, but he is playing with forces that he does not understand."

"But if Praxis does get the Stone, he will be near-unstoppable." Pecker translated. "You see, the Precursor Stone can be used for great good or… great EVIL!" Pecker drew out the last word. "Ha, I just love saying that last part. Anyway, Onin says that we must get the Stone, or all is lost. Only when we have possession of the Stone, can lives be saved." For a second, Onin's blind staring eyes stared right at Jak. That look sent shivers down Jak's spine. Then he turned to walk out. "Good bye!" Pecker called after him. "Don't let the door hit you on your heroic butt on the way out!" The moncaw laughed.

Jak stopped in the doorway and growled loudly. Daxter groaned. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" Daxter said. "Pecker, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Jak's been in a bad mood as of late." Daxter yelled in Jak's ear. "Run, Jak! Before you kill again!"

"Enough, Daxter." Jak said. "Let's just get out of here." With that, Jak walked out of the tent. Both Onin and Kor watched, or in Onin's case, 'stared' at Jak's exit. Both of the elders had very different thoughts.

* * *

Jak had to go all the way back to the Precursor Mountain Temple, an area he had just left, again, and he was kind of upset about it.

Dark was upset too. He was still sore over Daxter's attack on his sexuality. He was currently imploring Jak to let him out so he could eat him. But Jak wouldn't allow it. No matter how annoying the little rat was, Daxter was the only friend he had left, so he couldn't afford to destroy him.

This thought carried Jak down the elevator to the Temple. He didn't even remember the way there… funny…

At the bottom, there was a locked gateway that had an empty slot in it… about the right size as the Seal of Mar that he now carried. Jak took it out and held it up to the door. Slowly, the Seal of Mar moved out of his hand and floated over to the doorway. The Seal placed itself in the slot and the door opened.

Jak stepped over the rather large threshold and walked into Mar's Canyon. They came to a rail, but Jak was able to use the JetBoard to grid across easily. He got off on the other end because the canyon was too narrow for the JetBoard. And he resumed walking down the canyon. Eventually, Jak came to a fork in the path. "I'm guessing it's that way." Jak said, looking down the right path.

"Fine, but if you're wrong, don't blame me."

"Fair enough." Jak said, walking down the right path, which led to a canyon that was even narrower than the previous one. As they walked, statues appeared to come out of the stone walls.

"You think this is our man, Mar?" Daxter asked.

Jak looked up and the tall, regal statues. "Yes."

"How do you know?" Daxter asked. "Oh my God, you're physic!"

"No." Jak sighed. "But we are in _Mar's_ Canyon, which was unlocked by the Seal of _Mar_ , and we're here to activate the Light Tower that will show us the way to _Mar's_ Tomb."

"Hmm… I guess you're right." Daxter said.

Suddenly, the canyon opened up into a small clearing with a bunch of machinery. Jak reached into a pocket of his trench coat and handed Daxter the gear. Jak nodded his head toward a piece of machinery with the gear-shaped slot in it. Daxter nodded back and took the gear; he jumped off Jak's shoulder and ran toward the machinery while Jak himself moved toward the Light Tower, which actually looked pretty short to him. Jak pulled out the lens and tossed it in place. Jak turned and yelled at Daxter. "Okay, now!"

Daxter gave Jak a 'thumbs up' as he put the gear in its place. The Ancient machines started with a rumble and the Light Tower rose high into the sky. Daxter watched in awe as the Tower extended to its full height: over fifty feet tall. Jak walked over to the last bit of machinery and pulled out the blue, glowing, vibrating Precursor Shard. "Aww! Can't I just have one more go with that thing?" Daxter asked. Jak rolled his eyes. Daxter claimed that the vibration Shard could put a smile on anyone's face.

Beyond that, Jak ignored him and placed the Shard in its slot. A small platform carried the shard to the top and four generators powered up the shard.

Suddenly, a beam shot from the shard to the lens high above. The beam was redirected in the direction of Haven City, but beyond that, Jak couldn't see where it hit.

Several seconds later, the Talk Box activated. Pecker's voice squawked over the speakers. "Well, I'll be a Yakkow's uncle! The Light Tower actually does exist! The beam hit somewhere in the City and we heard a pretty decent sized explosion.

"Do you think it hit the Palace?" Jak asked, now entertaining the idea of the Palace collapsing and crushing the Baron and Erol in one go.

"No, the Palace still stands." Pecker said. "But it appeared to be a close miss."

"Somewhere near the Palace, got it." Jak said.

"Samos, Kor, and the Kid are waiting for you two. Go, hurry." Pecker urged.

"Already gone." Jak said as he marched out of the clearing of the Light Tower.

* * *

Back in Haven, Jak didn't have a problem finding where the beam hit. In fact, he was quite happy with the results. The bead had destroyed the statue that Baron Praxis made of himself that was between the Port and the Palace. Praxis' head had fallen down on the pedestal, revealing a hidden doorway, the way into Mar's Tomb.

Jak slipped through the confusion and Guards to the door and quietly entered. Once inside, he got on an elevator that took him deeper into the bowels of the Tomb. Once they reached the bottom they were greeted by Samos, Kor, and the Kid, who smiled up at Jak.

"Hey, sport." Jak said with a tenderness that was so unlike him.

"You did it, Jak, you actually found Mar's Tomb!" Samos exclaimed.

"So… what now?" Jak asked. "We send this poor kid into a meat grinder?" The kid looked nervous at Jak's words.

"He'll only need to pass the Tests." Samos said. "Then we should get the Precursor Stone."

Kor was off in a corner, and he seemed to be off in his own little world. "This is the day I've long awaited. To finally hold the fabled Precursor Stone… in my hands."

"You must be cautious, child." Samos said. "The Tests of Manhood are sure to be fraught with peril, and Mar's Heir must face them alone."

"Samos, this is suicide!" Jak said. "You don't know what's in there! It could be anything! Am I the only one in here who knows that this kid is just a kid? It's called the 'Tests of Manhood' for Precursor's sake! This child is many years from manhood!"

"Hey, don't listen to mister gloom over there, Kid." Daxter said. "It's just a deep, pitch black, sure-to-be-filled-to-the-brim-with-painful-death old tomb…" A pause, the Kid's lip trembled. "I wouldn't go in there."

Suddenly, a rumbling caught everyone's attention. The deep voice of the Oracle entered the room. "Welcome, Heir of Mar. Finally… the Chosen One stands before me." A door began to open and both Jak and the Kid gazed into the dark depths of the tomb, as though mesmerized. "Enter… and prove yourself worthy to claim your ancient birthright."

Jak stared at the door, confused. An alluring voice was calling his name from inside the Tomb. "Jaaaaaaaak…" It was possibly the most seductive voice he'd ever heard in his life. It was calling to him… it wanted him to come into the Tomb. Jak put a hand on the Kid's shoulder to stop him from entering. Jak slowly moved around the boy, all he could hear was the Voice. He walked, zombie-like, toward the entrance of the Tomb while everyone else stared at him.

"Jak! What are you doing?" Daxter demanded, but the elf in question ignored him.

"No!" The Oracle boomed, finally bringing Jak out of his enchanted state. Jak looked up at the Oracle, confused, as did everyone else. "The child is too young to face the Tests of Manhood." The doors began to close.

"JAAAK!" The Voice screamed, making Jak deaf to all else.

"No!" Kor cried.

"Do something, Jak!" Samos cried, but it was rather unnecessary.

The unknown Voice ringing in his ears, Jak set his face in a determined frown and he sprinted for the closing door.

"Jak!" Daxter yelled, chasing after him. "Remember the 'sure-to-be-filled-to-the-brim-with-painful-death' part?"

Jak rolled under the doorway. Daxter skidded to a halt just before the door and attempted to run away. But Jak had other plans for the Ottsel. He reached under the door, grabbed Daxter's tail, and yanked him under just as the door closed.

"Great tree-limbs!" Samos gasped. "He's gone to face the Tests!"

"No." Kor said grimly. "He's gone to his death…"

"Freeze!" A harsh voice said at the door.


	30. The Tomb of Mar

Jak and Daxter were now on the other side of the door. "Great, just great, now we're stuck in here!" Daxter growled, glaring at the large stone doorway, which was firmly closed.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Jak said. "We'll just pass whatever Tests the Oracle throws at us, grab the Precursor Stone, then get the hell out of here. I'm used to passing these sort of tests."

"Uh, hello, you're forgetting one thing." Daxter said. "Only the Heir of Mar can face the tests and, oh yeah, THAT'S THE KID!"

"Hey, I'm sure nothing in this Tomb will be a challenge for me."

"One question, though." Daxter said. "Why did you get all hypnotized back there? You were walking toward the door like a zombie or something."

"I…" Jak started, and then he paused. He knew this was going to sound extremely stupid to Daxter. "I heard someone calling my name."

"Jak—are you going crazy? You're hearing voices everywhere! THERE'S NOTHING HERE!"

"Jaaak…"

"Shhh!" Jak hissed. "Do you hear it?"

"Jak, there's nothing here, watch!" Daxter faced the dark tomb. "Hello!" His voice echoed, but nothing else seemed to happen. "See, there's nothing…"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and fires sprang up all over the Tomb, dimly illuminating the darkness, for the fires seemed to be dark, purple fire, like it was made of Dark Eco. These fires gave off little light, but what the light did reveal was a long staircase down into a huge chamber. However, the floor of this chamber was made up of Dark Eco, an enormous lake of the evil substance spread from wall to wall.

"Whoa… that's a lot of Dark Eco." Daxter commented. "You were right after all, Jak, the Kid would've survived this."

"Sometimes… I hate being right." Jak said, and then he stopped suddenly, staring into the shadows of the Dark liquid. As he stared, he moved down the staircase. When he reached the bottom, he gasped. "What the hell?"

"What? What do you see?" Daxter asked.

"Look." Jak said, staring at the Dark Eco.

Daxter looked and gasped. "What the hell are those things?"

Daxter had said this because large beings were arising from the Dark liquid. Great, lizard-like bodies that stood at least eight feet tall. Dark Eco dripped off their great scaly bodies and their jaws opened, revealing razor-sharp teeth. These creatures all had pale skin with dark marks on their skin that looked like some sort of primitive tribal tattoos and they had five-foot long tails to complete the picture.

"Jaaaaak…" The foremost one hissed in an oily, seductive voice, revealing the creature that had originally called Jak into the Tomb. It was strange, though, the creature wasn't even speaking any language that Jak consciously knew, yet he seemed able to understand it perfectly. Then Jak realized that it was the strange hissing language that Dark used. Perhaps Dark was helping him understand. That would also explain why Daxter couldn't hear the voice.

Jak, praying that Dark would allow him to communicate back, began to speak… in a series of growls and hisses. "How do you know my name? What are you?"

"Uh… Jak?" Daxter asked uncertainly, but Jak ignored him.

"We are the Dark Watchers. We have been charged by the Great One to guard this Tomb and it's contents. Many have we hunted down and torn apart. As to how we know you… The Great One." The Foremost monster hissed. "It told us of the one's coming. But… the chosen one was rejected at the door… too young. Why would the Oracle ignore you?" Jak honestly had no idea what the creature was talking about.

Another spoke up. "Perhaps they masked out each other's auras. The Great One could not feel him."

"Speaking of feel…" The Leader said. "What are you?"

"What?"

"What are you?" The monster repeated. "You feel like an elf, but somewhere… deeper… we feel something else… something like us…"

"Feel?" Jak asked. "We do you use the word feel?"

"Because, we have no… what do you call them… 'eyes'." The Dark Watcher stepped forward, into a patch of light. He was right, the place where their eyes should have been, the skin had scabbed over the eye-sockets. "We have no need for eyes in the Darkness. We feel our way towards our victims."

"Victims?" Jak asked.

"I'm sorry to say, Dark One, but we must kill you." The Leader said. "The Great One told us to never allow anyone to pass us. Such a waste… we could've had a wonderful conversation. It gets very empty down here… in the Darkness."

The creatures unsheathed their claws with sickening 'shhhk' sounds to about a foot in length and they approached Jak menacingly. There were about a dozen of them in all.

Jak swore under his breath. "What's going on?" Daxter demanded.

"We have to fight them." Jak explained.

"So you're speaking in a normal language again, huh?"

"I'll explain later." Jak said hurriedly. And then… "Daxter, get off!"

"What?"

"Get the hell off my shoulder!" Jak hissed. "Go hide somewhere, you'll only get in the way." Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and ran off somewhere to hide, and then Jak lost sight of him.

Then he allowed himself to transform. He made a great effort not to cry out as the Dark Eco tore through his body. He doubled over, teeth gritted in pain, as horns ripped out of his forehead. Then his fingernails lengthened into long, cruel claws and the rest of his body followed in the dark transformation. Finally, the transformation was complete, but Jak's mind remained dominate. He suppressed his Dark Eco powers for a short while and, after hesitating for a second, he walked out into the Dark Eco.

Even in his Dark transformation, the substance burned him. Jak clenched his jaw to keep from crying out. If he cried out, he was dead. The Dark Watchers were confused, they could no longer sense their prey. "Where is he?" The Leader demanded, 'glancing' around at their surroundings. "He's hiding among us!" All the Dark Watchers turned to face each other, as if suspecting them.

Jak froze. If he used only a minimum of Dark Eco, he could possibly stay in his Dark form for several hours. And since he was standing in a pool of the stuff, he could stay this way until the Dark Eco supply ran out, which could be years. But it burned terribly, Jak had to fight with all his strength to keep tears from forming.

The Leader walked up to a Dark Watcher, claws flashed, and the unfortunate Dark Watcher fell into the Dark Eco in two pieces. Then it moved on to the next one… and the next…

Jak realized it was only a matter of time before he was flushed out. Six Dark Watchers out of the original dozen had been slaughtered and another was brutally slaughtered. Five left, including the Leader… Jak liked those odds a lot better, but he figured might as well let the Leader do most of the dirty work. Three more died at the hands of the Leader, only one plus the Leader left now. Finally, the leader moved to Jak. He raised his claws to slice the Dark Elf in half as he did the others.

Suddenly, Jak made his move. He stabbed out at the Leader with his own claws, catching him under his guard, and under the creature's rib cage. Jak sliced his stomach open and watched with a morbid curiosity as it's insides spilled out into the Dark Eco.

"AUGH!" The Leader cried out in horror. "It's him! Get him!" The Leader hissed as it fell to the ground.

Suddenly, the last Dark Watcher tackled from behind Jak and he fell face-forward into the Dark Eco. He tried desperately to get up, but the monster wouldn't allow Jak to get his face above the Dark Eco. It was burning his face, his mouth, and his throat. He was pinned down and drowning in Dark Eco!

Suddenly, a memory rose unbidden to the surface of his mind. _The Krimzon Guard Captain had him pinned. He couldn't get up! And then Jak realized with horror what that Captain wanted… what he was planning to do…_

The memory filled him with such rage that he couldn't keep control anymore. Dark easily pushed Jak's mind aside and took over. Dark roared in anger and forced himself up with explosive force, sending the Dark Watcher and about a ton of Dark Eco into the air.

The Dark Watcher landed on its feet several feet away from the Dark monster, and the monster in question stood up from the Dark Eco, the evil substance dripping off his body.

He looked terrible. The extended amount of time submerged in the Dark Eco had eaten away at his skin. He had terrible burns and large bloody holes that covered his body, and his clothes were so torn up, there was barely enough fabric left to preserve his modesty. Forget shoes, those were long gone.

But such a rage burned in Dark's eyes in the middle of his mangled face, Dark completely ignored his wounded body and leapt at the Dark Watcher and preceded to tear him apart.

Dark may have been a full three feet shorter than his adversary, but it was obvious that the monster was rusty in the act of killing from lack of action. Dark was a seasoned killer, a murderer, and when it came to taking someone's life, Dark knew what he was doing.

After mutilating the beast to his satisfaction, Dark rested a claw against the monster's neck. The Dark monster let out a long hiss that could best be translated as 'last blood in mine!'. Then, with a quick motion, Dark drew the claw across the monster's throat, cutting his windpipe. It was dead within seconds. Dark stood up, still bleeding terribly from many wounds that did not seem to want to heal, and walked over to the Dark Eco-free platform and stepped out of the substance. And slowly allowed himself to change back into his host's form.

Dark slipped away and Jak was able to maintain control of his body. However, he came back and realized that he was injured, terribly injured, as the pain overwhelmed his senses and bypassed his taboo against signs of weakness. He let out a cry of intense pain and fell to the stone ground, unmoving.

Daxter, who had been hiding like Jak had told him was attracted by his cry of pain. He saw Jak lying on the stone ground, looking horribly mutilated. "Jak! Jak!" Daxter ran down to Jak's side. "What happened?"

The elf didn't even bother to open his eyes, it simply hurt too much to move. "The bastards… never touched me." Jak whispered. "It was the damn… Dark Eco."

"Come on, Jak, you can lick this!" Daxter said. "You'll heal! You have to!" Daxter looked over at the Dark Eco pool. "I'll help you over to the…"

"No." Jak gasped. "It's too much. There's too much… I couldn't handle it…"

"Jak, you idiot!" Daxter said, but there was no anger in his voice. "This is all your fault!"

Jak winched as more pain shot through his body. "Tired…" He breathed.

"No!" Daxter cried when he realized what was happening. "You've got to stay awake! Jak, stay away from the Light!"

"I see no Light." Jak struggled from each breath. "There's only Darkness."

"Don't you dare die, Jak!" Daxter cried. "You're not supposed to die like this!"

Jak tried his very best to smile, but it just couldn't happen. "I've been dying a little bit every day since we came here."

"But… what about Praxis… and Erol?" Daxter asked. "What about your friends? What about Samos and Keira? What about me?"

"Dax… Tell Keira… tell her I…" Jak paused as another wave of pain washed over him.

"What? Tell her what?" Daxter demanded.

"Tell her I… I'm sorry." Jak whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't talk like that!" Daxter said. "Please, Jak, don't talk like that!"

The elf didn't respond, he only lay on the ground, oozing Dark Eco, silent and unmoving.

"No!" Daxter cried, he wanted to shove Jak in an attempt to wake him, but the Dark Eco didn't allow that. Daxter couldn't tell if the Dark Eco oozing out of Jak was his own or the Dark Eco of his death. Slowly, he calmed down and realized that Jak was still alive, only just. He could see his chest rise and fall slowly as he breathed.

Daxter resisted the urge to try to wake his friend. "That's it, Jak, old buddy. Just heal. You've got to heal."

Daxter didn't know how long he waited there, for Jak to heal or to show any signs that he would be okay, but it felt like hours. Suddenly, Daxter heard a rumble, it sounded like a rumble the Oracle would make.

"Oracle?" Daxter asked, looking up at the tomb's ceiling.

"You should not be in this sacred place." The Oracle rumbled, a hint of anger in its voice.

"I know." Daxter said hurriedly. "But, please, you've got to help my friend! He passed the dumb test, he killed those Dark things, but he's dying. It's all your fault!"

"I was not the one who drew him into the Tomb. It was merely himself." The Oracle said. "He allowed the voice of Darkness to seduce him."

"But you've got to help him!" Daxter said.

The Oracle remained silent for several seconds before it finally answered. "The Dark Eco was too much for your friend's already delicate immune system. His Eco tolerance cannot allow that much Darkness in his body. His system has overloaded and the Darkness is tearing him apart from the inside. Your friend had Eco Poisoning and will be dead within the hour."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Daxter asked.

"The Precursor Stone." The Oracle rumbled. "It has the power to stop an Eco Tolerance overload. It will flush the extra Dark Eco from his body and return him to normal, or at least as normal as he can be. It will not stop the death that is still written out for him in a few months. This is one of the many powers of the Precursor Stone."

"So… can I have the Stone please?" Daxter asked.

"On one condition." The Oracle said. "After you heal your friend, you will give the stone to its rightful owner."

"Who's that?"

"The one that lays dying before us. He passed the Test, he slaughtered the guardians that I set to guard the Stone long ago. Without the Watchers, the Stone is defenseless. He may have been able to take it had he not gotten sick."

"Deal." Daxter said instantly. Suddenly, a new mass rose out of the Dark Eco lake. A small, stone that glowed with it's own green light. The stone zoomed straight to Daxter, who gripped it.

The stone was light and it had the Seal of Mar engraved on the top. "Place the stone next to his skin. It will heal the wounds and flush out the extra Dark Eco."

Daxter looked down at Jak and almost laughed. He was almost NOTHING but bare skin. So Daxter pressed the stone up against his shoulder.

The effects were immediate. Jak's wounds began to ooze Dark Eco even worse than ever, expelling all the extra Dark Eco that infested his body. It took a while, but eventually, all the excess Eco was gone. Then the many wounds and burns began to heal themselves.

Almost as soon as the last wound was healed, Jak opened his eyes in shock; he sat up. "What happened?" He demanded.

"Whoa, calm down. You've been healed." Daxter explained. "Here you go." Daxter said, handing the small stone, which fit perfectly in the palm of Jak's hand, to said elf. "It's yours."

Jak stared at the stone. "Is this…?"

"The Precursor Stone?" Daxter finished Jak's unspoken question. "Yep."

"Welcome back to the World of the Living, Great Warrior." The Oracle boomed. "It has been hundreds of years since our hope has burned so brightly. What you have just received contains grave power, and with it comes grave responsibility. Are you ready?"

"For what?" Jak asked, standing up and putting the stone in his one still-intact pocket.

"To _see_." The Oracle said.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the Tomb disappeared, and was replaced by a bright sun-lit field. Jak noticed that Daxter was not there, and he appeared to be alone. Then he looked into the distance and gasped. It was a sight he had never beheld in his life. It was a city, a huge one, that was many times bigger and more beautiful than Haven ever could have been. The city was glowing with it's own light that lit up the entire horizon, like it's own sun. "Where am I?" Jak wondered out loud.

"You are in my memory." A disembodied voice that Jak recognized as the Oracle's filled his mind. "Don't worry, nothing here can hurt you, for you are not of this timeline. No one can see or hear you."

"Well then… I guess the question would be… when am I?" Jak corrected.

"A short while after I was created." The Oracle answered.

"You mean…" Jak paused to piece the information together. "I've gone back to the time when the Precursors are still alive?" He looked at the distant City. "And that's a Precursor City."

"Correct. The City you see is Agaurhiqsvz-Rszoq, the Capital city of the Precursors on this planet."

"Everlasting Light." Jak said, translating the name from the Ancient Precursorian. "It is well named."

The Oracle didn't say anything for several seconds before it spoke. "Sadly, the City is not well named, for no trace of its beauty was ever left of it. It's light, as so many others did, faded." The Oracle paused again. "Oh, and here comes Belathor."

"Belathor? A Precursor?" Jak spun around to see the Precursor for himself.

He was rather surprised by what he saw. The Precursor had the same bodily shape as an elf, except it seemed to be made out of pure Eco. It also radiated so much power that even Jak, who wasn't a part of that timeline, could feel it. "Yes, a Precursor. Belathor was a leader of the Precursors, an elder, that is why even you can feel his power." The Oracle said.

"Then he probably would have been powerful enough to cure me." Jak said. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Here was a Precursor right here in front of him, looking down at the City. He could've been cured if he could exist in this timeline.

"I'm afraid it is impossible to transport your body, which is still in the Tomb, here." The Oracle said. "An Oracle is given a set amount of power when they are created. To attempt to bring your body to the past would certainly destroy us both."

Suddenly, the scene changed again. It appeared that they were still standing in the same field, for Jak could still see Agaurhiqsvz-Rszoq in the distance, though it was now a shadow of it's former self. The light had dimmed and smoke rose from every section of the City. It was the same field, except now it was a battlefield.

Everything was dead. The fresh battlefield was littered with carcasses of… Metal-Heads and also small pools of Eco that Jak couldn't identify. "What are those?" He asked, referring to the Eco pools.

"All that remains of the Precursor army that defended Agaurhiqsvz-Rszoq for eons." The Oracle said sadly.

"What?"

"Eons before the your time, just at the time when your kind were still furry little creatures of prey, a great war was fought on your planet. The Precursors and the Hora-Quan, creatures that your kind have accurately called 'Metal-Heads', both wanted control of this planet. For thousands of years, the two armies fought one another. The Precursors had near-limitless power, and the Hora-Quan had equally limitless numbers. The Precursors were horribly outnumbered, and it didn't help that our forces were already stretched thin due to another conflict of higher priority that was happening at the same time. The Precursor elders couldn't spare more to this planet. So, driven by their dark leader, the Metal-Head legions destroyed all traces of our civilization on this planet, and now they are swarming the universe, clearly intent on destroying the last ruminates of our great civilization."

The scene changed again. They were in Mar's Tomb, but it was not the present. It was still the past. But Jak's mind was still on the Ancient War. "But what sort of conflict could be so important that the Elders would abandon their people on this planet?" He asked.

"Someday, perhaps, you will learn. But not today." The Oracle said. "Now, the Elders have resigned to allow the Elves, who are now the dominate race of the planet, to deal with the Metal-Heads."

"Wait, if the insanely powerful Precursor armies couldn't defeat the Metal-Heads, how do you expect us to?" Jak demanded.

"Because your race has what ours did not… numbers." The Oracle said. "Only one Precursor child can be born to a pair of soulmates every few hundred years, if they decide they want to bare children. As you probably know, there is no marriage in Precursor society, but soulmates. And to have a child together… this is the ultimate vow of love."

"I know." Jak said. "Samos taught me."

"Your kind, on the other hand, do not have such views on childbearing. Your kind can reproduce almost constantly. But only one may face the Metal-Head Leader in the end."

"Three guesses who that is." Jak said sarcastically.

"The Prince." The Oracle said.

"What?" Jak asked.

"Only the Heir of Mar can stand a chance against the might of the Metal-Head Leader. Don't ask any more of me, for I cannot tell you."

Suddenly, Jak's attention was drawn to the entrance of the Tomb. A figure entered the Tomb, he had on a hood and cloak and he was carrying a package in his arms like it was his first-born son. The man unwrapped the package, revealing the Precursor Stone.

"That's Mar, isn't it?" Jak asked.

"Mar found the last Precursor Stone on this world and, knowing its supreme value, he decided to hide the Stone from others who wanted to find it, but not to keep it, to destroy it. The Metal-Head Leader is obsessed with finding the Stone, for it is the last great threat to him. Mar hid it in this Tomb o protect it from him. It is our last hope for this planet, and you were chosen to keep that hope alive."

"So, what do I do with it?" Jak asked.

"Sadly, you could never use the Stone to its fullest potential. Only one with a heart that is pure and untouched by pain could do it, and you, unfortunately, have neither." The Oracle said. "However, there is a gun that Mar built near the Metal-Head nest. This gun has remained dormant for years, but it can be powered up with the Precursor Stone. You can use the gun to open a way into the Metal-Head nest."

"And why would I want to go to the Metal-Head nest?" Jak asked.

"I cannot give you a reason yet. I'll just say that everything will become clear to you… only with time. Only time can reveal all of life's secrets."

"Oracle, tell me." Jak said. "Am I going to die?"

"Only the Angel can tell." The Oracle repeated the line from Onin's poem. "Only you can truly decide your fate."

"Are you saying I'm going to have to chose whether I live or die?" Jak asked.

"Who've already made that decision." The Oracle pointed out.

"Of course! I want to live!"

"Now, you're actions from this moment on must reflect that decision, or you will die." The Oracle said. "Now let us go back." With a flash, the Oracle and Jak returned to the present time.


	31. Jak Vs. Praxis, Part 2

The first thing that Jak was aware of was Daxter's voice. "Jak!"

Before the elf could react to anything, something hit him hard on the back of the head and he was knocked to the ground. He could feel the weight of several people pinning him down to the stone ground.

"Good job, men." A horribly familiar voice said. Jak looked up as well as he could and saw Praxis. Several Krimzon Guards were holding him on the ground and Jak could feel that he hands were restrained behind his back. He realized then that he must've been completely helpless while his mind had been stuck in the past.

"Fu…" Jak stared to swear, but he was silenced by a rather hard kick to the face.

"Oh, how I missed doing that!" The Guard that had kicked him said. "Good times, eh, Number Eleven?"

"Capturing you was remarkably easy." Praxis mused. "You didn't even blink when we handcuffed you and put your rat in his cage." Jak looked up and saw that Daxter was indeed trapped in a small cage.

"Praxis!" Jak roared.

"Shut up, you filthy animal!" Praxis spat. "No… I take that back… you are less than an animal. You are a weapon, my weapon, and you _will_ serve _my_ purpose!" Praxis made a slight hand signal that could mean 'pick him up' because the guards instantly grabbed Jak and lifted him off the ground. "So what do you say, Number Eleven? Work for me?"

"Never." Jak spat on the ground by Praxis' feet, signaling his utmost defiance.

"By the way…" Praxis smiled, perhaps choosing to ignore Jak's insult. "Don't even think about using your Dark Eco powers. Those cuffs are designed to give you one helluva shock at the slightest change in your Eco level." Jak merely stared back at Praxis, a look of superiority on his face.

Praxis, apparently, didn't like it when men he considered little more than a mindless weapon considered themselves superior. With the slightest signal, which the Guards instantly obeyed, the butt of a rifle was slammed into Jak's stomach, doubling him over in pain.

Praxis grabbed Jak by his hair and pulled his head up until Jak was looking the Baron right in the eyes. "You were never the most intelligent of the bunch, so I'll make this simple." The Baron hissed. "Give me the Precursor Stone and work for me, and I'll let you live. Any other choice, and you'll die."

"I don't have the Stone." Jak lied quickly.

"Now, don't make us have to use force." Praxis said.

"I was completely helpless before." Jak said with the merest hint of a smile. "What's the matter, Praxis, you too scared to search me then?"

Praxis eyes Jak's clothes, or lack-thereof. "Nothing much to search, eh, Eleven." Praxis laughed. Never the less, he ordered. "Search him." The Guards began to go through what remained of the fabric that had been clothes an hour ago. "Now, I hope you haven't gone and done something stupid like try to hide it where you think we won't look. My men have no problem performing body-cavity searches."

Jak didn't react to this statement. The search, however, didn't go to that extreme. One of the Guards found the Stone in Jak's pocket.

"I've found it, sir." The Guard handed the glowing stone to Praxis, who tucked it away.

"That's mine, you bastard." Jak hissed. "And I'll be taking that back."

"See, that's where you're mistaken, Eleven." Praxis said. "You can't take anything from me when you are dead." The Baron paused melodramatically. "Kill him."

The guards let go of Jak to grab their weapons in a rush to see who would be the one to kill the infamous Dark Eco Freak. It was the worst mistake of their lives.

Now, the only thing holding Jak's hands behind his back were the handcuffs… made of plain steel. With a single swift movement, the Dark elf wrenched his hands apart, snapping the cuffs, and he leapt at Praxis, eyes wild as his dreams were coming true right before his eyes.

Jak tacked the Baron and closed his hands around his throat, the force of Jak's attack sent the Baron to the ground.

The Krimzon Guards reacted immediately and they attacked Jak in an attempt to get him off their leader.

The elf in question completely shut out the pain in his body, Praxis' pain consumed his entire world. Praxis gasped, but was unable to get air into his lungs. Victory, and Jak's revenge was near. His body hurt badly from the repeated attacks of a dozen Krimzon Guards, but he would not allow physical pain to stop him.

But Jak had forgotten that Praxis was a Warlord and he hadn't gotten that title for no reason. Praxis' fist connected with the side of Jak's head. It was quite a blow and it dazed Jak for a second, the second that Guards needed to get the Dark elf off their Baron.

Praxis got off the ground, gasping for breath. He looked up at Jak, grinning. "That was an excellent trick, Eleven. It seems that we underestimated you again." Jak struggled half-heartedly against his captors. He couldn't believe it! He was so close to his goal… and he let physical pain get in the way! Praxis continued his little speech. "However, that is a mistake that I won't be repeating." Praxis drew a large sword from its sheath and Jak was instantly forced to his knees and bent over slightly, so Praxis could have a clear shot at his neck. "This time, I'm going to kill you myself!"

Praxis raised the sword, ready to take off Jak's head in a single fell swoop. "Jak!" Daxter cried from the cage, unable to watch.

But Jak wasn't quite ready to go around with the 'headless' look. Most people in this position would try to force their way up, but Jak knew that was impossible. Instead, he did the exact opposite. He let himself fall down.

"What the…?" Praxis began, but it was too late. Jak hit the ground and rolled over onto his back, kicking out at the first legs he saw. Two of the Guards were brought down instantly, their legs were broken.

During the ensuring confusion, Jak got up off the ground. Several guards attacked him, but Jak never bothered with killing them. That would take too long, it was Praxis that he wanted. Jak approached the Baron, breaking the arms, legs, or knees of anyone that got in his way.

Finally, the Dark elf was standing before Praxis, who now looked worried as all his men were rolling around on the stone floor, screaming in agony. "Are you ready to die, Praxis?" Jak asked.

"You're still wearing the cuffs." The Baron said. True enough, the cuffs were still locked firmly around Jak's wrists. "You can't use any Dark Eco."

"Who says I'm gonna let Dark have all the fun?" Jak asked rhetorically. "I'm going to kill you with my own hands. My pain, my revenge."

Suddenly, the Baron smiled. "Am I going to die the same way that Captain died? Your first kill, I believe it was." He said casually.

Jak's eyes widened in horror. "Shut up!" He ordered.

"I know what he was doing to you, Eleven." Praxis continued, seeing that he was pushing a button.

"Jak? What's going on?" Daxter asked, for Jak had never told him about the infamous 'Captain'.

"Ah, yes, one glorious day without torture. Of coarse, you almost received a different type of torture."

Jak was desperate to keep that secret a secret. If anyone ever found out he… "SHUT UP!" Jak yelled.

"So how did it feel, Eleven?" Praxis asked. "How did it feel to almost become someone's bitch?"

The silence in the room was absolute. Praxis smiled to himself as Jak dropped to his knees. "Jak…" Daxter began but Praxis cut him off.

"That's a good dog." Praxis said. "Now, stay still. This will hurt a lot." Praxis raised the weapon…

As quick as a flash, the fire returned in Jak's eyes and he jumped up and gave the Baron an underhanded blow right in the groin. Praxis doubled over in pain. Jak grabbed Praxis' own sword and held it against the tyrant's throat.

"Who's the dog now, Praxis?" Jak asked. "I can't believe you fell for that 'I'm beaten' trick! It's going to take a helluva lot more that a painful memory to break me!"

"Idiot." Praxis hissed. "You're forgetting one thing."

"What?" Jak demanded.

"I've got the Precursor Stone!" Praxis laughed. Suddenly, he held it towards Jak and the Dark elf went flying into a wall with a flash of green light. He was immediately buried under tones of rock and dirt. Praxis waited for the dust to settle and watched the large pile. It didn't move. "A pity." Praxis looked down at Daxter. "Eleven's rat? Why don't you be a good rat and starve to death down here." With that, Praxis walked out, carrying the Precursor Stone with him.

There was no movement within the Tomb for several seconds except for Daxter trying, unsuccessfully, to squeeze through the bars of his cage. Then a hand appeared from beneath the rubble. Then, within seconds, the rest of Jak appeared. "Jak! You're alright!" Daxter exclaimed.

But Jak didn't appear to hear him. He suddenly screamed in pure primeval rage, and he was practically pulling his hair out. "AUUUGGGHHH!" Jak picked up a large stone that was at least twice his weight and threw it as far as he could, a considerable distance.

"Jak?"

"I HAD HIM! I HAD HIM!" Jak screamed.

"Jak!" Daxter yelled.

Jak continued to ignore him. "He was at my mercy, TWICE! And I failed! I FAILED!"

"JAK!" Daxter screamed to get Jak to hear him over his own rage.

"WHAT?" Jak demanded, wheeling around with an angry fire in his eyes.

Daxter shrank under Jak's glare. "So you didn't kill Praxis, so what? You shook him up pretty badly. He never expected you to get out of those cuffs." At the mention of the handcuffs, Jak glared at the cuffs that were still attached to his wrist, and he ripped them off. "But we've got bigger problems to deal with right now. You can take your anger out on the next guy."

Jak walked over to Daxter and ripped the bars of his cage apart, allowing Daxter to get out of the cage. "And who's the next guy?" Jak asked.

"Torn." Daxter said angrily.

"Torn… why?" Jak asked.

"The Baron was talking before you came to." Daxter said. "You won't believe this but… Torn… he's been passing information to Praxis for a while now."

"What?" Jak demanded.

"Yeah, I know. Even I want to kill him now." Daxter said.

This was the worst crime that Jak could think of, something that even Jak wouldn't do. Jak had his problems, and he had a long list of crimes that he had committed against the City, all of them true, but Jak would never ever sell out his own side. Only the weak would sell out their own side to the enemy. "Then I know my next destination."

"To get some new clothes?" Daxter asked hopefully. "I mean, that almost like 'indecent exposure.' As if you don't have enough crimes to your name without adding indecent exposure."

Jak looked down at the tattered remains of his clothes. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I do stand out. That's why you are going to steal me some new clothes. I'll wait for you in that first chamber." Jak sighed. "I just got this trench coat too… that sucks."

"Stole that trench coat, you mean." Daxter corrected. "Fine, the Master Thief will try to steal you some more clothes to preserve your fragile modesty!"

"Daxter!" Jak said suddenly. "About what Praxis said about my first kill…" Jak paused, wondering if he should tell Daxter the truth. Wait, that was an easy answer. Hell no! "The Baron didn't know what he was talking about. Stupid ass Baron, can't even see straight. Worked out great, though, it put him right at my mercy." Jak wasn't sure if Daxter believed him, but it was better than Daxter knowing the truth.

"Be back soon. Hopefully, Ill find something that'll fit you soon." With that, Daxter hurried off and walked toward the antechamber slowly, killing any of the Guards that were still alive after the fight.


	32. Prison Break

Let's just say that Jak wasn't a very happy camper when he stomped into the Underground Hideout. He was still pissed that Praxis had escaped him by the skin of his teeth. Several people tried to stop him in the hallway, but Jak roughly shoved them aside.

"Bastard!" One brave man called after Jak.

"Fuck you!" Jak shot back before continuing on his way.

He was on a warpath. Jak was itching to kill someone, and that someone's name was Torn. Jak stormed into the main office. Torn was in there, and Jak knew in his heart that someone was going to die today. Jak walked up to the desk and slammed his fist on the table, jarring Torn. "Torn, you better start talking and talking fast."

"What?" Torn asked.

"Come on, Jak's actually giving you the chance to explain yourself!" Daxter said. "Get to talkin'! Jak never lets anyone explain themselves!"

"What are you talking about?" Torn asked.

"Don't play stupid!" Jak hissed. "I know that you've been passing information to Praxis! What the hell were you thinking?"

Torn looked down at the table in shame. "You don't understand."

"Yes, I don't understand; but I want to understand before I kill you." Jak said.

"Praxis… he said he was going to kill Ashelin for spying, his own daughter!" Torn said, shaking his head. "I—I couldn't risk that… even for the Underground."

"Right, good thinking, except Praxis has the Precursor Stone now, which, by the way, Jak nearly _died_ to get! So Praxis can do what ever he wants now!"

"Not whatever he wants." Jak said suddenly. "Only one that is pure of heart, one who is untainted by pain, could use the Stone to its full potential. Praxis definitely is not pure of heart."

"But… doesn't that rule you out?" Daxter asked.

"I know. But still, that Stone belongs to me, and I will not stand to have that Bastard use it for his ends."

"There may be a way to get the Precursor Stone back, and maybe our friends too." Torn said.

"What?"

"Our safe houses were raided simultaneously. Half the Underground is now in the fortress." Torn explained.

Daxter trembled slightly. "Tess?"

"Captured." Torn answered. "The Shadow too. Kor and the Kid are missing and unaccounted for. You could rescue them. Go to the fortress. I'll contact Vin and he'll turn off the force fields and the automated defense system. I'll call you at the Fortress."

"And why should I trust you?" Jak demanded. "I'm not one to trust traitors and double-agents."

"You must trust me because you and I both know that the Baron would've killed Ashelin without blinking!" Jak lowered his eyes as he saw the truth in these words. "It'll be a tough fight through the fortress… possibly suicide."

"You just get those doors open." Jak hissed. "I'll be there." With that, Jak spun around and walked out of Torn's office.

* * *

Jak couldn't believe that he was walking back into the Fortress after what happened last time he went in there, and the two years before that. Just the memory about the torture, and flying through the window and hitting that pipe made him hurt.

"Okay." The TalkBox activated as Torn called. "The shields and the defense system should be off-line. We can't do anything about the guard patrols, though."

"You've got to feel sorry for those Guards. Jak's been itching to kill someone all day." Daxter said. "Jak's gonna have some fun with those Guards." Jak couldn't help an evil grin.

"You bet I am!"

"Oh brother…" Torn sighed.

* * *

Five minutes of endless corridors later, and Jak had not come across a single guard. It was quite unusual. "Hey, don't worry about that." Daxter said. "I'm sure they are… all just getting coffee… at the same time…"

"Dax…" Jak rolled his eyes.

"Or maybe Guard causalities are so high that the surviving guards quit."

"Dax…"

"Or maybe…" Then Daxter's rant was cut short. They had walked into a new room, one that contained a single yellow-armored Krimzon Guard.

The Guard and the Dark elf faced off for a second before the Guard raised his weapon. Jak recognized it immediately… the number of times it had been used on him before… "Shit!" Jak swore as he ducked out of the way.

It was an electro-net blaster. One of the last weapons the Baron had used as 'Freak Control' in the Prison. Each shot blasted out a net that shocked the person inside if they struggled. Jak remembered the net well, for a good shock can teach loads.

The net sailed over his shoulder… his left shoulder. Jak spun around to see that Daxter had been caught in the net. "Jak, what?" The net shocked Daxter as he moved to escape the confines of the net. The shock wiped away any Elvin instincts, leaving only animal ones. The Ottsel tried madly to escape, but only succeeded in making the situation much worse.

Jak instantly pulled out the Blaster and shot the offending Guard through the head. No matter how much he wanted to kill in gruesome ways, his friend was in danger right now. He ran over to where Daxter struggled vainly against the net.

"Dax! Stop it!" Jak ordered, holding the Ottsel still until he calmed down enough to listen. "Dax, stay still and listen to me. This net will shock you if you move or struggle. Stay still, I'll get it off. I won't hurt you." Jak carefully extracted Daxter from the net.

Finally, a few minutes later, he was free. "Ow! That hurt!" Daxter glared at the net, which now lay innocently on the ground. "What was that thing?"

"Freak Control." Jak said sourly. "One of the many devices of control that they used on me in prison. They only started using it after I became too strong for them to handle."

"Man, I never thought we'd see an Elite Krimzon Guard!" Daxter said.

"Elite?" Jak asked.

"The best." Daxter said. "They wear yellow armor instead of regular red. Black armor means that you are dealing with an assassin. But those guys don't exactly walk around in their black armor… draws too much attention."

"Shit!" Jak swore again. "If I get caught in those nets, then I'm done for!"

"Well, let's make sure you don't get caught in those nets, shall we?" Daxter said.

* * *

Jak soon found himself in a highly familiar room, familiar… but hated more than anything else on this earth. "Looks like we've come in a full circle." Daxter commented. It was the very room where Jak had endured two years of torturous genetic experiments at the hands of the Baron and Erol. The Dark Eco machine still gleamed eerily in the green light.

"How I hate this place. And that machine." Jak hissed, glaring at the machine in question.

"So, where do you think they are?" Daxter asked.

"Holding cells." Jak said automatically. "This way." Jak walked down the familiar path from the room to his cell block.

Soon Jak came to his old cell and found that several of the cells were filled to the brim with captured Underground agents, dozens to a cell. It seemed that Praxis still had a habit of over-stuffing his cells.

"Jak!" Some of them breathed a sigh of relief. "Mar, are we glad to see you. We thought we were stuck in here!"

Tess walked to the front of Jak's old cell. "Daxxie?" She asked.

"That's right, baby, the Metal-Head-masher has saved the day! Oh… and I let Jak tag along too…" Daxter said.

"My little hero!" Tess squealed. Jak pulled out the blaster and shot the lock off the cell. The door opened without complaint and Tess leapt straight at Jak. At first, Jak was taken aback by this behavior, but her true aim was to grab Daxter off his shoulder and darn near squeeze him to death against her cleavage. Daxter wasn't _too_ upset about this.

Jak continued doing this until all the doors were opened. The last one contained Samos. "Samos, are you alright?" Jak asked.

Suddenly, Samos appeared next to Samos, except this was the Samos that Jak remembered. "What took you so long?" Samos demanded. "I've added _six_ rings to my truck just waiting for you two to get me out of here!" Jak stared opened-mouthed between the two Samos'. The older Samos' eyes fell on Jak. "Great Yakkow horns! What happened to you, Jak?" But Jak was too confused and shocked to answer.

"Wait!" Daxter called when he extracted himself from Tess. "You're you! I mean the other you! I mean… you know what I mean."

"Yes, it appears that I have an older time twin." The Shadow said.

"Time twin?" Jak asked, completely confused.

"Great grass grubs…" The Shadow continued, poking Samos in the chest. "I can't _believe_ what a cranky old log I've become!"

"Two Samos the Sages?" Daxter demanded, then he screamed and took cover behind his larger friend. "AUGH! Jak, they're multiplying!"

Jak ignored his friend. He glanced around the hallway, but someone was missing from the assembled number. "Where's the Kid?" He asked.

Samos, it appeared, had already taken this fact into stride. "We need to find the Kid, pronto!"

"What are you talking about, old growth? The Kid already opened the Tomb!" The Shadow said. "Our top priority should be to disrupt the Baron's forces!"

"Oh, look who thinks they've sprouted?" Samos said. "Look, if you were _half_ as wise as I am, you'd know that the proper course of action would be to FIND THE KID!"

"Listen, you old dried up leaf!" The Shadow spat. "I run this outfit, and I say that we should go after the Baron's forces!"

"Well, if you had taken better care of yourself, I wouldn't be in the state I am now!"

"Do we have to separate you two?" Daxter asked.

"There was a Warp gate, an active one back in the Machine room." Jak said with a frown at the merest mention of the room and the pain it forced him to remember. It brought back the memories of the pain, but more than the physical pain, but the pain that one feels when their soul dies. "The less time we spend in this hellhole, the better."

Everyone agreed with Jak's statement, so Jak led them down the equally familiar path to the machine room. Sure enough, there was an active Warp gate there. Jak stood back and watched as everyone jumped through the Warp gate. Samos paused before taking the jump. "Jak…"

"Not now, Samos." Jak said. "Later." Samos jumped in, followed closely by the duo themselves.


	33. Daxter's Big Race

Jak was greeted by Samos on the other side of the Warp gate. "Jak, I have to tell you… I'm sorry." Samos said those two words as if they were the hardest things that he had ever said in his whole life.

Jak blinked in surprise. He had never seen Samos apologize to anyone, much less admit to doing something wrong. Daxter was equally surprised. "What?" He demanded.

"For what?" Jak asked.

"For everything." Samos explained. "I made you come here, I let all this stuff happen to you, even though… I knew it was going to happen…"

"You knew? How could you know?" Jak demanded, he couldn't help but feel slightly resentful towards Samos.

In response, Samos pointed over to the Shadow, who was just leaving. "I was him, remember. I saw you like this…" Samos motioned to Jak to show that he meant his 'new look.' "Before I even saw you as a boy."

"So, you are from this time?" Jak asked.

"Yes, but don't ask me how I got to Sandover's time… I cannot tell you."

"I can't get told anything." Jak huffed angrily. "Why must everything be a secret from me?"

"You don't understand." Samos said. "If you knew the answer to that question before you were ready to deal with it, Time itself would disintegrate!"

"Then why do you know?" Jak demanded.

"I can't tell you." Samos said. Then Samos might have noticed the look of rage on Jak's face because he quickly changed the subject. "Jak, have you found my daughter?"

"Keira?" Jak blinked at the sudden change in subject. "Oh, yeah. She's working at the Stadium, the manager of a Racing team, would you believe?"

"Yes, I would." Samos said.

"I can drive you over there if you want." Jak offered.

"That would be nice, except… could you take it slowly? I'm too old for wild rides." Samos said. "I know what kind of driver you are now a days."

"Yep, that's Jak: The King of Speed and Road-Rage!" Daxter commented.

"Okay, I get it." Jak said. "So what if I drive a little hard…"

"Try 'insanely and suicidal'." Daxter corrected.

"Shut up." Jak hissed.

* * *

A short drive through the City brought Jak, Daxter, and Samos to the Stadium. To everyone's surprised, Keira was already standing outside, as if waiting for them. "Hey, Jak." She said, but she seemed to look at something that was past Jak's head. "I was about to call you…" She paused when she saw who was sitting in the passenger seat of the zoomer that Jak drove. "Daddy?"

"Hello, Keira." Samos said. "I hope you are doing well."

"I'm fine, Daddy." Keira said, smiling. She turned to Jak, and the smile became fixed. "The Class Two Race is about to begin. Go into the garage and change."

Jak nodded and walked into the Garage. He had a feeling that he didn't belong there anyway. After all, Samos was her father, and she hadn't seen him in over two years. Jak walked into the garage and took the racing outfit that was on the workbench. Then, he heard a highly unwelcome voice from behind.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Dark Eco Freak!" Jak spun around, Erol had walked into the garage.

"Erol?" Suddenly, he realized that he was holding the racing outfit and the helmet, being caught 'red-handed' as it were. "Crap." He swore.

"Oh, don't worry, Eco Freak, I already knew." Erol pulled out a piece of paper that looked like a racing contract. "If you are going to race under an alias, you shouldn't sign your own name on the contract, idiot!" Erol hissed.

Jak remembered something that Krew had said long ago. ' _I've already signed your name to save time…_ ' "Krew!" Jak hissed. His hate list seemed to be growing bigger every single day. Jak looked around. "Where's Keira? Is she still outside?"

"Don't worry, I'm keeping a _close_ eye on her." Erol said, circling Jak like a vulture. "You're the talk of the town, Eleven. You give the people of this town 'hope.' How pathetic."

"The people hate me because of what you and the Baron did to me." Jak spat.

"No, the stories of your deeds travel fast. People believe that you are going to be the one to end the Metal-Head war. Some even say you will kill the Metal-Head Leader. Praxis and I thought this too, and then we realized that you are just like the rest of your unnatural kind… a failure. You don't give a damn about the war, do you? You just want to kill the Baron and myself. Well, here I am. I'm unarmed. I can promise that you'll never get a cleaner shot than this."

Jak smiled. "You are not unarmed. Your hand is resting on a pistol that's hidden in your pocket and there's an assassin in here somewhere who has a rifle aimed at my back."

"Astute little weapon, aren't you?" Erol asked with a mock baby-voice. "Don't worry about the assassin." And then said assassin, dressed in black armor, moved into view, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "I would've enjoyed killing you in prison, but it will be so much more fun to take you on the track, in front of the entire City! I can hear the roar of the crowd now… as everyone sees their hope die!"

Suddenly, Keira, Samos, and Daxter walked into the garage, but Keira didn't seem to notice the two elves in there. Her eyes were still firmly fixed on her father. "It's good to have you back, Daddy." She said.

"Yes, it's nice to be free again." He said.

"You know…" Erol whispered in Jak's ear so that no one else would hear what he had to say. "Keira _loves_ winners. Someday, she'll be my mechanic!"

Jak couldn't bare the thought of his childhood friend, the one person that he cared about more than anyone else, working for Erol, the Mega-Bastard. "Stay away from her." Jak hissed.

Erol laughed as he walked out of the garage, followed closely by the assassin, who gave Jak a hard look that plainly said: 'If my Commander had allowed it, I would have blown your head off.' After the two elves were gone, a sigh caught Jak's attention… it had come from Keira.

"Erol's the best racer I've ever seen." She said.

"Keira…" Jak paused, how could he tell her that he was the one responsible for his tortures? "He's not what you think… he's…"

"And you think you're the judge of character?" Keira demanded suddenly, and everyone blinked. None of them had ever seen Keira treat Jak like this in living memory. The she-elf snorted. "Look at yourself, Jak! You're angry all the time, you think of nothing except revenge…" Every word she spoke was another stab wound to his heart, because he knew, deep down, that every word was true. But Keira wasn't done yet. "You've stolen zoomers, clothes, and food without any guilt or remorse! You put your own friends in danger just to get a damn adrenaline rush! And, worst of all, you are a murderer, Jak! A murderer! You don't even deny it! And I've heard the rumors… that you get angry and… change."

"Well, you can blame Erol for that one." Jak said, his voice raising dangerously. "He's the one who pumped me full of fucking Dark Eco every single day!"

Everyone, everyone being Daxter and Samos, seemed taken aback by Jak's angry outburst. Everyone but Keira, she wouldn't let Jak surprise her with anger and a bit of swearing. "So, you think that justifies what you have done?"

"Yes, it does!" Jak hissed. "He tortured me almost to death every single day for two years! I just want justice!"

"That's not justice, that's revenge." Keira said.

"Sometimes, they are the same thing!" Jak growled.

"Uh…" Daxter began, trying vainly to stop the two friend's argument, which could quickly get out of hand, judging by the look on Jak's face.

"No, they are never the same thing!" Keira said angrily. "And what about this 'Dark Monster' everyone is talking about? You've killed innocent people every day of the week! Your wanted posters don't even bother to keep track of your murder counts! Besides," Keira sneered. "The Jak I knew wouldn't be working for a guy like Krew! You are not the Jak I remember anymore."

"You're right, I'm not." Jak hissed. "Now are you happy?"

"No, just disappointed." Keira said.

No one spoke for several seconds. Finally, Jak said. "Fine. You do things your way, and I'll do them my way. Just don't come crying to me when the walls fall down!" And with that, Jak stormed out of the garage, tossing the racing uniform aside as he went.

Daxter laughed nervously. "Haha, that's a great joke, Jak. Where are you going? Jak? JAK?" But the Dark elf was gone.

"Attention all drivers…" The computer voice said over the intercom. "The Class Two Races will begin soon."

Keira didn't appear to hear the notice. She watched the door where Jak had just left with an angry… and somewhat sad look in her eyes.

"Now what are we going to do?" Daxter asked.

Keira started pacing, thinking. "You are going to have to drive from the team, Daxter." Keira said. "We need this win to qualify for the final Championship Race!"

"Are you sure that's legal?" Daxter asked.

"There's nothing in the rule books that say animals can't compete." Keira pointed out.

"Maybe because they never thought someone would be so daft as to try and enter an Ottsel into a Class Race." Samos mumbled under his breath.

"No problem, right." Daxter said optimistically. "You just hold on tight and point the thingy where I want it to go, right? And then there's the other thingy that makes it go fast." Daxter said, referring to the boosters. "Fast is good! I can do this! I'm ready to race!"

* * *

Outside the Stadium, Jak was sulking. "How dare she!" He hissed under his breath. "She doesn't understand what I've been through… what I'm still going through! She doesn't even know what has happened to me!"

Jak slammed his fist into a wall angrily, over and over until there was blood running down his hand and wrist. Jak looked down at his blood, deep crimson mixed with dark purplish-black, his own blood mixed with Dark Eco.

"I even bleed the fucking stuff now." Jak hissed, wiping the blood off his skin.

Suddenly, and with very little warning, Jak felt sick to his stomach. He leaned over and vomited on the ground. Once he was done, and confirmed that there was no Dark Eco in the vomit, he screamed: "Why is this happening to me?"

Several people glanced at him nervously before taking a wide detour. Jak didn't mind, it wasn't like he expected them to help him. 'Oh my God, you're sick and you are going to die in a few months? Here, let me help you with that. I happen to know a Precursor that will fix that right up for you. Heck, I'll even help you take out the Baron and Erol while I'm at it!' Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.

There were cheers coming from the Stadium, but Jak didn't care. _What if I told Keira that I'm dying? Maybe she'll forgive me and realize that I do have a reason for my actions…_

"Why can't… why can't she just put her trust in me? She trusted the Jak I used to be? Couldn't she trust me just the same?" Jak wondered. "Why can't I be that Jak… if only for her?" He paused. "Because we'd both know it was a lie. I'm not that boy anymore, no matter how much I pretend."

_But, if I told her what happened to me… everything… maybe she'll accept me again._

Suddenly, there was a loud cheer again and Jak got up to investigate. He walked into the Stadium, looked over the railing, and gasped.

There was Keira's zoomer and riding it was… "Daxter?" Jak gasped out loud. Jak watched the rest of the race, or most of it. He spent half the time watching Daxter and the rest watching Keira. She never noticed him watching her. Finally, the race was decided, and Daxter came out on top!

Jak was among those who cheered for the Ottsel's victory. He didn't listen to the announcer's cries that this was the first time in known history that an animal had won one of the Class Races. He watched as several Krimzon Guards passed the silver trophy to Keira. She and Daxter took the special doorway into the Garage. Jak turned around to take the long way around.

* * *

Inside the Garage, Daxter was admiring his reflection in the silver Class Two Trophy. "Now there's a handsome winner!" Daxter exclaimed.

"You did it Daxter!" Keira exclaimed. "You helped us qualify for the Big Race!"

"Did you ever doubt?" Daxter demanded. "I back-seat drive for Jak all the time!" He turned to Tess, who was in the Garage. "Hey! When do I get the winner's big kiss?" He asked.

"Maybe later… if you're a good boy." Tess said teasingly as she rubbed Daxter's head.

At that moment, Jak walked into the garage and Daxter looked up at his friend. "Hey buddy, we… ah… showed those Class Two losers a thing or two, huh?"

"I saw." Jak said. Daxter jumped down onto the floor and Jak knelled down to Daxter's level. "You drifted a little high on the turns a few times." Daxter hung his head. "But, you hung in there. I'm proud of you, Dax." The elf said kindly, knuckling his friend.

"Really?" Daxter asked.

"Yeah, really, you did great." Jak said.

"No, _we_ did great!" Daxter corrected, jumping up and Jak's shoulder. "Right, partner?"

Jak turned to face Keira. "Keira, I…" But she turned away from him and gave him the 'cold shoulder.' Jak stood there for several second, staring at Keira, before he turned and walked out.

Once Jak was out of earshot, Tess spoke up. "Keira, you're my friend, so I'm going to tell you this nicely." She said. "You are _crazy_! He's been through things that you and I can't even imagine!" Tess snorted softly. "Even mirrors are his enemy."

"Mirrors?" Keira asked, confused.

"You haven't seen his reflection yet, have you?" Tess asked.

"What's so important about Jak's reflection?" Keira asked.

"Because that is the only way you can safely see his pain." Tess said. "He's dying, even though he won't admit it. He spent one week in a coma not too long ago, on the brink of death, only to wake up to a vomit-fest. There are days when he seems top-notch, and others when he's so sick that he can't even stand. Do you know that he'll be dying in a few months?"

"What?" Keira demanded. "You mean… Jak's going to die?"

Tess nodded. "How would you feel knowing the time and manner of your own death?" She asked rhetorically.

"How do you know all this?" Keira asked.

"Daxter told me." Tess said. "Jak… doesn't talk about it much…"

Keira didn't say anything for several seconds before she asked. "Is it hopeless?" She felt sick to her stomach.

"Jak believes so." Tess said rather sadly. "I agree with him. Daxter told me that the only chance he's got is to find a Precursor that's willing to heal him. Everyone knows the Precursors aren't around anymore."

"You're right." Keira said, sadly. "Oh my God, Jak, what have I done?"

* * *

Jak drove away from the Stadium and Keira in one of his taciturn moods. "Hey, what's wrong, buddy?" Daxter asked. "I just won the Class Two Race! One step closer to the Baron."

Normally, the thought of being closer and closer to his revenge would at least bring an evil smile to Jak's face, but not now, he didn't even speak. "Jak, why won't you talk? You haven't gone all mute again, have you?"

Jak rolled his eyes. "No."

"Then what is it?" Daxter asked.

Jak sighed. "Keira. She wouldn't even let me explain myself. And she's realized, finally, that I'm not the Jak she knew back in Sandover."

"You may not be that Jak anymore, but you are still Jak, aren't you?" Daxter asked, and got no response. "I don't really see what the problem is."

"The problem is that I'm not her Jak anymore!" Jak hissed in a way that told Daxter to drop the subject, or else.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Daxter said.

"You want to know what the big deal is?" Jak spat out without thinking. "It's because I love her!" Daxter's mouth dropped open as Jak spoke those three deadly words, words that he had never said about anyone before. Jak seemed to realized what he had said a second later. A hand flew up to his mouth like he had just let slip a disgusting swear word. But it was too late. He had just told Daxter that he loved Keira, something he didn't even realize himself.

"You… love…" Daxter paused, his tiny brain struggling to compute this information.

Jak hastily worked to correct himself. "I didn't mean… that's not what I…"

"Too late!" Daxter laughed, pointing a finger in Jak's face. "You said it! In front of witnesses and all!"

"Dax, I swear on the Precursors, if you tell _anyone_ what I just said, I won't protect you from Dark's wrath anymore!"

Daxter gulped. "Okay, I won't tell anyone.

Jak was now deep in thought. _Do I really love Keira? As in 'truly, passionately' love her? Since when did this happen? Sure, we almost kissed once or twice, but does that mean I love her?_

 _Since when did I love her?_ One part of his mind asked.

 _Since now, you dumbass._ Another part of his mind answered.

Daxter once again interrupted his thoughts. "But, if you luuuuve her, why don't you tell her?"

"Because she isn't speaking to me and wouldn't believe me even if I did tell her." Jak said in a subdued voice. "She probably thinks that Dark Eco Freaks like me are incapable of love." Jak growled. "You know what, from now on, this topic is off-limits too."

"That list is getting longer and longer every day." Daxter grumbled. "So, can you tell me what happened between you and this infamous Captain dude?"

 _No, and you'll never know._ Jak thought, and he lied quickly. "Nothing. He bugged me, pushed me over the edge, and I killed him."

Daxter seemed only half-satisfied with Jak's answer, but he dropped the subject quickly, sensing that it had also become an 'off-limits' topic of discussion.


	34. Back Into The Sewers

Jak had just accidentally revealed a major secret in his life to the loose-tongued Daxter, and he was sure he would be teased for the rest of his short life. So what does one do when faced with eternal humiliation? Go to a bar and get pissed off your ass, of course. Yes, getting drunk out of is mind seemed like a very good idea right now. Nothing seemed to be going right. Praxis was still alive, and so was Erol, every single person in Haven was pissed at him, Keira hated him, and he knew that he was being used by various people for their own ends, Krew… Torn… and even Keira… the list went on and on.

Jak pulled up to the Hip Hog. "You remember the rules, Dax?" Jak asked.

"No purple stuff." Daxter repeated instantly. Daxter wasn't allowed to drink the mysterious purple stuff. The last time he did, Daxter had told Jak that he 'loved him.' Jak shivered. Besides, alcohol loosened his tongue even more than usual. Jak could see it now. 'Yeah, Jak just told me that he loves Keira! Yeah, that's right, as in 'loves loves!' Jak shivered some more. That's all he needed. A bar-full of people to know what he had accidentally confessed.

Jak sat at the bar, not even caring that Dark was reflected in the mirror. Many people stared at the demon that was only visible in the mirror, but Jak didn't care anymore… he was somewhat used to being stared at.

Unfortunately for Tess, who was working the bar at the time the first thing she happened to see was Dark's reflection in the mirror. She jumped and spun around. "AUGH!" Then she saw that it was Jak, not his Dark alter-ego who sat at the bar. "Jak! You nearly scared me to death!" The she-elf paused. "What's wrong, Jak? You are normally careful around mirrors. Why the sudden…?"

"Carelessness?" Jak finished. "What's the point, Tess? Everyone knows what I am, so why should I hide in the shadows?"

"Because it doesn't make people as nervous to be around you." Tess said. "So, do you want something or not?"

"Something strong. I don't care what it is." Jak said.

"And get me something too, baby!" Daxter said. "It's been a really tough twenty-four hours!"

Tess smiled. "You can say that again." She said as she went to go get their drinks.

* * *

Little did Jak know, one other person had heard his proclamation of love, someone that was far less welcome to the information. It was the Krimzon Guard assassin that had been with Erol in the garage. This was, without a doubt, the strangest assignment that he had ever had, but he had been trained not to question orders, only to obey them. Instead of Erol putting a hit on the Freak, he had only marked him. This meant that he had to follow the Dark Eco Freak around day and night to see if he could pick up any useful information, mostly about any weaknesses that could be exploited. Strangely, the Commander had asked specifically to discover what sort of feelings the Freak had for the mechanic, Keira Hagai.

He grew excited as the Freak and his rat began arguing about the girl and he practically soared when the Freak shouted 'Because I love her!'

Oh yes, Commander Erol was going to be very happy about this… very happy indeed.

* * *

Jak quickly polished off his drink and slammed the empty mug down on the bar, Daxter doing the same with his smaller mug. Daxter looked up and his face blanched. "Oh-oh… don't look now, but Mr. Tub-of-Floating-Butter is heading over, and he has that look on his face…"

The Dark elf growled in annoyance and turned to face the over-weight bar-owner. "What do you want this time?" Jak asked.

Krew smiled evilly. "Jak, I need you to go back down into the Sewers again, eh." The fat man growled. "I've just heard a rumor that Mar's cheeky face might contain another secret… and I want to see if the stories are true."

"So what am I suppose to do about it?" Jak asked.

"You are going to escort three of my men to Mar's statue." Krew said. "Make sure that all three of my men reach that statue, eh. And they'll do all the rest."

"And what's in it for me?" Jak asked.

Krew growled again. "Fine, once you are done, I'll give you another gun upgrade."

"Nice doing business with you." Jak said with false cheerfulness.

"Bloodsuckers." Krew hissed.

* * *

Jak descended down into the Sewers and the blast-doors opened. Jak heard the voices of the three men, and the one spoke up, louder than the others. "Quiet, here comes the Pretty Boy." Jak frowned, since when could he even be considered a 'pretty boy'? "Bout time you showed up." The man who spoke mock-saluted the Dark Elf. "Jinx's the name, pyrotechnics' the game."

"Pyrotechnics?" Jak asked, confused.

"Explosives, Blondie, explosives. Try to keep up with me." Jinx said. "Now, this here is Grim…" Jinx pointed to a wiry looking man. "And this is Mog." A large man. "Now move your butts, or I'll move 'em for you!"

The group began to move down the hallway. "I've got fifty kilos of high explosives strapped to my back… great." Grim grumbled.

"So, Jakkie-Boy, you've got quite a reputation." Jinx commented casually. "If half the stories they spread about you are true, then you must be the greatest warrior since the Old Boy Mar himself!"

"Damn stories." Jak swore quietly. "I don't know about Mar, but I can hold my own in a fight."

"What is it with you and understatements?" Daxter demanded. "Jak fought the Baron one-on-one not so long ago and kicked the Baron's ass all over the place!"

Jinx laughed. "Then you might have a chance! I've been waiting a long time for Praxis to get a good ass-kicking. It's just what every tyrant needs." They reached an elevator and the group piled on. "We're going down." Jinx said as he adjusted the controls on the elevator to go down.

They reached the bottom and Jak jumped off the elevator. Suddenly there was a noise… a loud growl. The group paused, Jak pulled out the Blaster instantly.

"What was that?" Grim asked quietly. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Maybe… it was my stomach." Mog said hopefully.

"That was no stomach." Jak said simply, aiming at the next corner.

Suddenly, the strangest creature that Jak had ever seen moved around the corner. The creature was a Metal-Head and it walked on all fours, like the old Crab-Heads. Except, these Metal-Heads were built low to the ground and where the nose should have been, there was something that looked strangely like the barrel of a gun.

"It's a Metal-Head!" Jinx yelled. "Shoot it! Shoot it!"

Jak raised the blaster and shot three times and the creature expired. "What the hell was that?" Jak asked.

"Hose-Head." Jinx said. "I've come across these type before. Watch out for the lasers that they shot out of their noses, they can cut you down at the ankles."

The group moved past the Dark-Eco oozing carcass. The Dark Eco jumped instantly into Jak's system as he passed and the three men were surprised by Jak's complete indifference. Most men would die instantly after contact with Dark Eco. They had heard stories of the Demon he could become, but none of them had ever witnessed Dark in action before. But, before the day was out, they would have stories of their own to tell.

They walked into the next room and Grim gasped, looking up. "Shit! We are so dead!"

"Metal-Heads are crawling down the walls!" Jinx yelled. "Get them!"

Jinx was right, the Hose-Heads were crawling down the walls, heading towards their prey. Jak raised the Blaster and began shoot the Metal-Heads off the walls. Soon, they were all gone.

"You're pretty handy with that pea-shooter, Blondie." Jinx said.

"I'm not a blonde." Jak grumbled. "My hair is naturally green."

Jinx seemed to ignore him and he set off toward the path out, which was blocked by an assortment of rubble. "This is where I come in." Jinx said, setting a bomb down next to the rubble.

"Cover your ears." Grim said.

"Cover your ears?" Jinx repeated. "You mean cover your ass! Fire in the hole!" Everyone hid behind various objects. "You better keep your head down, sugar." Jinx sneered in Jak's direction. Jak growled loudly and rolled his eyes behind his chosen cover, a large pipe.

There was a loud explosion. When the dust cleared, the pathway was open to them. "Mar, what did you put in those boom-sticks, Jinx?" Mog asked.

"Your bad breath." Jinx answered sarcastically. "Come on!" Jak was starting to think that Jinx had never been the popular kid considering his disgusting nicknames and sarcasm.

"Let's get out of here before we all get killed!" Grim said. And Jak was beginning to see why this guy was called 'Grim.'

"I wanna go home." Mog said with a whimper.

They had only walked a short ways when Jinx froze. "More of those monsters?" Jak looked up and saw some more of those Hose-Heads approaching.

"They're coming from behind too." Mog said. Jak spun around and saw two of the Metal-Heads coming from behind. These were much closer, so Jak went for those first. The Blaster was out in a second and he began to shoot. One shot to the head killed each of them instantly. Jak spun around and took out the two that were coming from the front.

"Nice work, Jakkie-Boy." Jinx said. "I'm beginning ta like you."

"Jak's my new favorite hero after Mar." Mog commented.

"Shut up, Mog!" Jinx hissed.

They walked up to a new elevator when a terrible scent hit Jak's nose like a sledgehammer, it was made even worse considering that Jak's sense of smell was many times that of a normal elf. "Oh Precursors, that smell!" Jak gagged.

"That's the smell of sulfur." Jinx said. "Ain't it grand?"

"No." Jak shot back. "It smells like shit to me."

They stood on the elevator and it went down, deeper into the sewer system and they got off and walked down a long, clear hallway. However, when they came to the next corner, blue lasers began to sweep across the floor. "Whoa, beams of death!" Jinx said. "Those are the beams of a Hose-Head! I'm staying right here until you do something about it!"

Jak was beginning to think that he could have done this by himself. He put the Blaster back into his holster and began moving down the hallway, jumping skillfully over the sweeping lasers. Jak reached the origins of the lasers, three Hose-Heads, and destroyed them using only hand-to-hand combat.

"Sweet as a ballerina." Jinx said as the last one expired. The Dark elf was beginning to grow sick of all of Jinx's 'cutesy phrases' and nicknames. He was as bad as Sig, honestly.

They moved down the hallway until they came to another blocked passage.

"Stand back." Jinx ordered. "I'll detonate this one remotely." Jinx set the bomb and the group crowded in a safe corner. Jinx remotely activated the bomb and the resulting explosion cleared the path.

Suddenly, there was a rumble that had nothing to do with the explosion. "What was that?" Jak asked.

"Sounds like I've got gas." Mog said.

Daxter tugged on Jak's ear… hard. "Ow!" Jak hissed. "Why you little…" Then Jak saw that Daxter was looking up with a look of pure horror on his face. The group looked up and gasped.

"AUGH! The ceiling's crawling!" Grim accurately described the situation. The ceiling and walls were crawling with Metal-Heads, and there had to be hundreds of them.

"Metal-Heads everywhere!" Jinx yelled.

"It was a trap!" Mog groaned.

"Set by who?" Grim asked, but none of them had the time to ponder this question. Jak got out his Blaster, aimed at the nearest Metal-Head, pulled the trigger, and…

'Click.'

Nothing.

Jak tried again, still nothing. He was out of ammunition. "Shit!" Jak swore, dropping the useless gun to the ground.

"Shit? Shit yourself!" Jinx yelled. "We don't have the fire power to deal with this mob!"

Jak suddenly grinned insanely. "I do." The Metal-Heads were getting closer. "Take cover if you value your lives."

Jinx didn't ask questions, and he dived for cover; Grim and Mog followed him almost instantly. "Jak, are you gonna…?" The answer to Daxter's unfinished question came when Jak let out a roar of pain. He doubled up as the pain of the Dark Eco transformation overtook him, and Dark Eco rushed, activated, in his system. His skin lightened into a horribly pain color, until he looked like a corpse, and his hair turned to a gray color. His fingernails grew with unnatural speed into long, black claws. Jak's eyes opened as the pain abated to reveal deep, black, pitiless eyes.

Dark Jak grinned. Not even Daxter knew that he had practiced a new technique while he was stuck in Mar's Tomb, waiting for him to bring him clothes. There was nothing better than unleashing a new technique on the Metal-Heads. Oh yes, nothing better…

Dark Jak roared as he gathered his full power, every ounce of Dark Eco that he had in his body. "Jak?" Daxter asked worriedly.

Suddenly, Jak released the energy with a roar of pain, for the release of all that Dark Eco at the same time was extremely painful. The energy expanded to fill the room, destroying the Metal-Heads instantly. The monster's bodies began to rain from the ceiling, piling on the ground in mounds.

Dark Jak changed back instantly because he had used all of his Dark Eco. But that was soon fixed by the Metal-Heads, oozing Dark Eco in death. His stock was soon full again.

"Whoa! What was that?" Daxter asked. "That was amazing!"

"Just something I worked on in Mar's Tomb." Jak said, gasping for breath. That attack took a lot out of him.

"Hey, it's safe!" Daxter yelled at the three men's cover.

Jinx, Grim, and Mog came back into view, glancing around and the many Metal-Head bodies; there were many, many dead bodies. "Whoa, that was fast." Grim said.

"Great, now let's get out of here before more of those monsters show up." Jinx said.

Everyone agreed unanimously with this statement. Jak bent down and picked up his useless Morph-Gun and put it in its holster. Jak followed the group down the short hallway to the next room where the Statue of Mar had come to rest after its bumbled burglary.

Once again Jak felt strange in the presence of the Ancient Warrior, one who he was now being compared to. It seemed, or maybe it was just his paranoia, that Mar was judging him somehow. It had to be his imagination. Statues can't judge anyone. Geez, was it just him, or was his imagination playing big numbers on him?

"Ooh… pretty statue." Mog said.

"Stand back." Jinx said, waving Jak off. "We're professionals." Jak relaxed, standing back to allow Jinx and the rest to do their thing. The three men placed the rest of the explosives and the statue's base and Jak got a horrible sense of foreboding. "Okay, men, let's blow this sucker sky high!"

Jak jumped. "Wait! Who told you to…?" Jinx and the men ran away from the statue, away from the explosion. "NO!" Jak cried. The Statue exploded with an earth-shattering explosion. The force of the blast sent Jak flying back and he crashed into a wall. He fell to the ground, groaning.

He looked up just in time to see the once majestic face of the Warrior-King come skidding to a halt mere feet from his face. He didn't know why, but the sight of the destroyed statue filled the Dark elf with anger… and sorrow.

"There it is… the Heart of Mar Gem!" Jinx said, inspecting the rubble. Jak looked over and saw Jinx carrying a large ruby… a horribly familiar one. It was the same one that was attached to the front console of the Rift Rider. But, before Jak cold comment, Jinx slipped the stone into his pocket. "Thanks for the escort, buddy. We'll take the Heart of Mar back to Krew." Jinx and his gang walked out without a second glance at Jak.

Jak walked up to the remains of Mar's once great figure. He hated the look that the ancient face was giving him, like everything was his fault.

He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but he looked down at Mar's face and said: "I'm sorry." And he meant it.

Suddenly, Jak's TalkBox activated. "Jak, my men just called me and told me the good news. So the bedtime stories were true after all, eh." Krew said. "About your weapon upgrade… it's in the Gun range. Find it, and it's yours." The line disconnected.

With one final glance at Mar's broken face, Jak allowed Daxter to jump on his shoulder and they walked out of the room back to the exit.

* * *

Several minutes later, Jak found himself in the Gun Range, searching through box after box. "Damn Krew." Jak swore as he tore through another box of… nothing. "The least he could do is leave it out in the open somewhere."

"Jak!" Daxter called. Jak jumped up and walked over. Daxter was pointing at… "Is that what I think it is?"

Jak picked up the item. "It is." Jak said with a wicked grin playing across his face. Jak attached the new mod to his Morph-Gun and pressed a button. The weapon instantly shifted into a familiar, but slightly different looking weapon… the Peacemaker!

"All right, our own Peacemaker! Now we're rockin'!" Daxter paused. "What if this isn't the upgrade?"

Jak scoffed. "Who gives a damn?" He asked. "You heard Krew. If I find it, then it's mine. I found it, so it's mine." Jak laughed insanely.

"I get the feeling that you are about to use the Krimzon Guards as guinea pigs to test that new weapon." Daxter said.

"Actually, we're going to the Oracle." Jak said suddenly.

"Huh? Why?"

"It's calling to me." Jak said, and Daxter didn't question Jak anymore when he said he heard these voices. Some of the time, it had been proven that there was something there. Instead he jumped on his friend's shoulder and Jak walked out.

* * *

Jak walked into the Oracle's hut several minutes later. The Golden Statue greeted him with its usual rumbling voice. "Greetings, Great Warrior."

"Why have you called me here?" Jak asked.

"The times have changed. You received the Precursor Stone from the Tomb, but you lost it to Praxis before you were able to use it." The Oracle said gravely. "The answer to all your questions and victory was within your grasp, but you failed to hold on to it."

"Thanks for rubbing my face in it." Jak grumbled.

"However bleak the situation may appear, there is still hope." The Oracle said. "The Precursor Stone may yet return to the hands of its rightful owner and a needless death may yet be prevented. It is not your strength, cunning, or ability that holds you back, but merely yourself." The Oracle paused. "You and I both know that you don't have much time left. You have begun to feel that Dark Eco, slowly turning against you and destroying your body. You need all the help you can get… now. For, as of now, the date that you dread is November fifteenth."

Jak was horrified. Only three months left? How could that be? "So, how are you going to help me?"

"Yes, I can help you right now." The Oracle rumbled. "I have discovered files in my own archives that documented how beings imbued with Dark Eco, like yourself could use Dark Eco weapons in regular combat without transforming in any way."

"Wait… that have been others like me?" Jak asked.

"Yes." The Oracle said. "You will meet them one day if things go according to plan now." The Oracle paused. "Stand still and try not to struggle against it. This will feel strange, but I assure that you can not be harmed."

It did feel strange. It sort of felt like someone was trying to suck his brain out of his skull with a straw. However, the feeling only lasted a few seconds. "Whoa, what was that?" Jak asked.

"You now have the power to use Dark Eco as a weapon, quite literally." The Oracle rumbled. "Feel into the corners of your mind and you will find a list of these weapons. Jak looked inside his mind as the Oracle told him and was surprised to find a list of just that… weapons. Swords, maces, spears… you name it, it was there. "Now, concentrate on a single weapon and will it into existence."

Jak found a weapon that caught his fancy, a broadsword of sorts and concentrated on it. Suddenly, his right hand felt slightly heavier than normal. Jak looked down and saw, to his amazement, that the sword had suddenly materialized itself in his hand. Jak lifted up the blade to study it. It seemed completely solid, but it seemed to be made entirely out of Dark Eco.

"Whoa! That is sweet!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Wow." Was all that Jak could say. He swung the sword experimentally. Even though it was slightly obvious that he had never used a sword in his life, he was able to swing it with power and a little precision.

"You'll learn how to use those weapons with practice." The Oracle said. "Dark One… good luck… we are _all_ counting on you." The ancient presence vanished from the room.

"No pressure, of course." Daxter laughed. The duo walked out of the hut.


	35. The City Race

Jak walked back into the Hip Hog. He had spent the whole ride over going over his mental list of weapons he now had at his disposal. The list was quite impressive and Jak was sure that he could never master all of them in one lifetime. One thing was sure, Jak would never grow bored again.

Jak walked up to the bar and Krew floated up behind him. Without even turning around, Jak asked. "What do you want this time, Krew?"

"So, now you're mind readers?" Krew asked. "But, you guessed correctly. I do want you to do something for me. Great job in the races, making it this far alive, however… I want you to throw the Championship Race… just let Erol win, eh."

Jak's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You bet against us?"

"Jak, Jak, it's just business, eh." Krew said. "You've become a symbol to those townies, and they are rallying about you as a leader. They'll bet anything on a glimmer of hope."

"Those townies see me as a lot of things." Jak said. "But a 'leader' and 'a glimmer of hope' are not one of those things."

"That is where you are mistaken, dear boy." Krew said. "These people have lived for years under Praxis' tyranny, too afraid to fight back, and those with the courage were horribly out-numbered. But, then you stepped onto the scene. A man so openly defiant against the Baron, that people can't help but hope that you will be the one to end his reign of terror. So, what do you say, my boy? What better time to make a little money?"

"I say you're going to lose a lot of money." Jak said. "Because I'm going to race, and I intend to win."

Krew growled in fury. "Why you little…! You're becoming more trouble than you're worth, eh! I wouldn't get too comfy if I was you… EVERYONE'S expendable!"

"Krew, the day you betray me is the day I stab this knife…" Jak materialized a long dagger out of thin air, and this seemed to put Krew off slightly, as he paled more than usual. "…In your back. Then I'll be the one making the threats. Besides, if you were smart, you would have made sure you knew I would throw the race before making bets on it." Krew floated away, growling and his place was taken by someone of an even less savory nature. It was Erol.

"In a hurry to die, boy?" He sneered. "Oh, but we don't have to wait for the big race! We can do this right now, one-on-one, through the City using accelerator rings. Hit every ring from start to finish or it's over!" Erol paused, a smile tugging at his lips as the Dark Dagger disappeared. "Keira already thinks you're a loser. Why in the world would she want to be with you when she's got someone like me! And I will prove that you are nothing but a glorified freak and a loser, once and for all!"

Jak glared straight back at Erol. "You know my feelings for her?"

"Of course." Erol said. "It was only a simple matter of having some tail you after the last race. You practically shouted it for the whole street to hear."

Jak glared at Erol, his eyes narrowing. His urge to kill him right then and there was rising. "She may not care for me the way she used to…" Jak said slowly. This was possibly the hardest thing he had ever said. "And she may even wish me nothing less than a thousand painful deaths like the rest of this damned City. But I will _die_ before I see her with the likes of _you_!"

"You'll be dead in a few months anyway. So what's the difference?" Erol sneered. "What's the matter? Afraid to die without her knowing the truth about your feelings… about everything?"

"Not quite." Jak hissed. "I'm afraid to die before killing you because that would leave her at your mercy… or your lack of mercy. Am I right when I say that the only reason you haven't done something stupid like rape her is because of me? Because I'd come after you with more rage and power than the devil himself?"

"The Devil?" Erol laughed. "You're powerful, Number Eleven, but not that powerful."

"News flash: I am the Devil!" Jak hissed. "I see it every time I look in a mirror." Jak looked into the mirror at his Dark reflection, and Erol saw it too, the demonic creature that Jak had the power to turn into. Jak turned back to Erol. "So, are we going to race, or chat?"

"Race." Erol spat, walking out. Jak followed him.

* * *

Erol hopped on his own zoomer while Jak stole one that was sitting outside the bar.

Erol gave some last-minute instructions. "The Rings go from here to the Stadium. No second hover zone allowed, only ground level. Miss even one ring, and it'll be over for you."

"You can make up as many rules as you want, but I'll still win." Jak said. Erol snorted.

"Three… two… one… GO!" Erol yelled and Jak accelerated, quickly pulling ahead of Erol. The first right was dead ahead and Jak headed for it. As he drove through, the zoomer received a sudden boost of speed, almost causing Jak to lose control as he did not expect it. But he gained control, but Erol had pulled ahead of him before he managed to get back on coarse.

"AUGH!" Jak roared as he gave chase.

* * *

The final ring was dead ahead! Jak and Erol, after a long race, were neck and neck! Both throttles were at maximum as the two zoomed toward the finish line.

Suddenly, Jak realized that Erol had made a mistake with the rules. He hadn't banned sabotage. Jak had already proven several times that he didn't care much for the rules anyway. A deadly mistake on Erol's part.

Quickly concentrating on the dagger, the weapon conjured in his hand. Jak then wasted no time in slicing through a bunch of pipes and wires that looked important. (Hey, he wasn't Keira, after all.)

Turns out, they were important as Erol's zoomer simply stopped working. "Damn…" Erol tried to swear, but it was too late. The zoomer crashed and skidded to a stop ten feet from the last ring. Jak, however, flew through the last ring to win. Jak zoomed back over to the wreckage, from which Erol was rising, unhurt. "AUGHHH!" He raged at nothing in particular.

"Hey." Jak said defensively. "You never said I couldn't cheat a little."

"You may have won this race, freak! But don't get too cocky, outlaw! Next time we race for keeps, and your HEAD will be my TROPHY!" Erol stalked off like the sore loser he was.

"Ah, blow it out yer ear!" Daxter yelled after him. "You were bottle-fed, weren't you?"


	36. The Life Seed

Immediately after Erol disappeared, Jak's TalkBox activated. "Jak, this is Samos." It was the older Samos that Jak remembered from his childhood. "I need you to go out to my old hut in Dead Town. It is time to retrieve something that was hidden there long ago."

"Sure thing." Jak said rather sarcastically. "It's not like I have anything better to do with my last months then chase down crap for you."

"Jak! That is nothing to joke about!" Samos spat, sounding very much like an angry parent. "Yes, this is a terrible situation, but we are doing all we can to save you. And right now, in order to do that, you'll need the Life Seed!"

"Life Seed?" Jak said, he had never heard of such a thing. "What's that?"

"You'll find out… in due time." Samos said. "Now, Dead Town's taken a real beating from recent Metal-Head attacks. Even with your enhanced abilities, it is impossible for you to get to the hut on your own power. For this reason, I had one of the men leave the Titan Suit in Dead Town. It is waiting for you just to the left of the entrance. You can use the Titan Suit to reach the hut. Oh, and Jak?"

"What?"

"Be careful. You may think that all is lost, but it is not. It is not too late to save you from your fate." Samos said. "Don't get yourself killed, no matter what."

Jak rolled his eyes away from the TalkBox. _There is no hope for me._ He thought to himself. _There's nothing that can be done for me. The only thing left to do is to make sure Praxis and Erol go down with me!_ "Sure, I'll get the Life Seed for you."

* * *

Jak entered Dead Town a short while later. He walked a short distance into the ruined city and looked to the left. Sure enough, there was a machine-type thing that could only be the Titan Suit.

"Whoa! Look at that thing!" Daxter said. "It looks like it could do some serious damage!"

"Good." Jak said. He walked up to it and climbed into the large cockpit, a protective, reinforced glass shield slid down to protect it's pilot.

Jak was surprised to see the Titan Suit operated much like the zoomers of Haven City. There was a foot pedal to move forward, there were handlebars to control what direction you were going. There was a button with 'boost' written on it. Jak pressed it experimentally and the Titan Suit launched itself into a low, boost-powered jump. It wasn't as high a jump as Jak could jump, but it wasn't to be laughed at either.

Jak looked forward and was surprised to see a large red arrow right on the glass. Jak turned the large machine, and the arrow turned, so it continued to point at the same stretch of wall. Suddenly, Torn's voice came over the speaker. "What are you waiting for, soldier? Get going!"

"What is this?" Jak asked.

"The arrow?"

"Yeah."

"It's an environmentally intelligent interactive computer." Torn said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The way to the hut has been programmed into the computers. It will show you the way. Just follow the arrow… idiot-proof."

"I don't think so." Jak said, staring at the wall that the dumb computer wanted him to go through. Jak doubted the Titan Suit had ghosting powers. "It wants me to go through a wall."

"A wall? No problem. The Titan Suit has a wicked punch; it can pack several tons into a hit. Its punch will be more than enough to take out a crumbling wall. Works great on Metal-Heads, too. It's sort of like squashing a bug."

"Torn!" Jak yelled, cutting off Torn's ranting. "Which button is the punch button?"

"Oh, it's the red ones on the handlebars. The right one is for a right-handed punch, the left for a left-handed." Torn explained. "Get to it, soldier." He disconnected.

"Yessir!" Jak saluted sarcastically before his attention was turned back to the wall. "Okay, let's see what this baby can do!"

"Jak… take it easy!" Daxter warned.

But Jak wasn't listening, (Big surprise) and rushed the wall. The Titan Suit moved surprisingly quick for all its mass. Jak pressed the right button and the Suit raised its right 'fist' and delivered a several ton punch into he brick wall. This nothing short of obliterated the wall. "Wow!" Jak yelled, his eyes alive with excitement for the first time since his fight-to-the-death with Praxis in Mar's Tomb. "I've _got_ to get me one of these!"

"Eight-hundred pound Tigorrilla coming through!" Daxter exclaimed.

Jak followed the arrow to the next wall and promptly smashed it in a single punch. In this next area was a single Metal-Head Grunt, which jumped at Jak's explosive arrival. You had to feel sorry for it.

"Let's see if Metal-Heads are as fun to squish as Torn says." Jak said.

The Metal-Head recovered from its initial shock and drew near its attacker. Jak used the Titan's punch again. It didn't take a scientist to figure out from the results that Metal-Head Grunts are not built to withstand a punch that packs tons of force into a single hit. The Metal-Head, for lack of a better word, exploded.

"Haha!" Jak laughed insanely. "It's like squishing a Wumpbee! A freakin' huge Wumpbee!"

Daxter gulped. Now even he felt sorry for the Metal-Heads on some level. Jak hated Wumpbees with a burning passion that maybe even surpassed his hatred for the Erol, and maybe the Baron. If Jak was now comparing the Metal-Heads to Wumpbees… they didn't have that much longer to live. Jak, Daxter recalled from his memory, had suffered from a rare lapse of stupidity on his ninth birthday and got too close to a Wumpbee nest. The poor boy was still pulling stingers out a week later. And Daxter and Keira got caught in the crossfire also, though they didn't get it as bad as Jak. Still, all three of them needed to be healed by old Log-in-the-Head.

From that moment on, Jak hated the bugs with a passion that the even-tempered young man had for nothing else. Normally very well tempered, Jak would go into a taciturn sulk at the slightest mention of Wumpbees until the subject was dropped.

The people of Sandover village quickly learned that Wumpbees were an 'off-limits' subject with Jak. This also went with Samos' 'The-Birds-and-the-Wumpbees' lecture. And that one wasn't about birds or Wumpbees at all! Daxter _still_ had nightmares over that one. Even Jak had been shaken at the end of that one.

Anyway… the point is… the Metal-Heads were going to die horribly painful deaths.

The way to the next area was to jump up to the next level, but the walkway was up too high for the boost jump. "Great… now what?" Jak asked.

Jak turned the Titan suit around, searching for any helpful hints, when the computer highlighted a block on the ground. Jak moved over and new instructions appeared on the screen. Torn was right, it was idiot-proof. A three-year old could have followed them.

Jak pressed a button and the Titan Suit easily picked up the block that even Jak would have had trouble lifting, let alone moving from point A to point B. Jak moved the machine back over to the wall and dropped the block next to the wall. This made a stepping-stone for the mech to use. Two boost jumps later, and Jak was on his way again.

Then the computer activated again. This time, it was highlighting a pillar. Jak could see now why Samos said it was impossible for him to make it alone. The next gap was well over thirty feet wide. The farthest that Jak had ever attempted to jump was slightly over twenty feet, over ten feet farther than he had ever jumped. However, the pillar was just the right length.

Jak maneuvered the machine into position and used the Suit's punch to knock the pillar down, bridging the gap. Jak crossed easily.

The next gap had a column on the other side. So he just picked up a nearby stone with the mech's strength and chucked it at the base of the pillar. This caused the pillar to fall, allowing the Titan Suit to cross in safety. Now, only one pillar stood between Jak and the old hut. "Doesn't it worry you that there are no Metal-Heads?" Daxter asked suddenly.

"Of course it does." Jak hissed. "Damn them! Disappearing right when I have a whole lot of new toys to use against them! I'm armed to the teeth, and they're gone!"

"Okay… Jak, I think you've finally gone psycho, you've gone off the deep end, you've got a one-way ticket to the funny farm, you're getting measured for a strait jacket, you're going to the nut house, you've gone insane, mad, crazy, loco…" Daxter ranted.

"Okay, I get it." Jak said. "Now shut up." Jak used the Titan Suit's mega-punch one last time to knock down the last pillar that lead to Samos' old hut, the one that Jak remembered from his childhood growing up in Sandover, the one that was now decimated. The pillar crumbled instantly and fell over, landing on the ramp that lead to the second level of Samos' hut.

Jak backed the mech up and opened the cockpit again, so he could climb out. Daxter climbed onto his usual spot, on his larger friend's shoulder. The Dark Elf walked over the makeshift bridge. "Are you ready, Dax?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Daxter replied. "You know, I spent many a day cleaning up this place for Old Greenie."

Jak entered the once familiar hut. "Oh my God!" He gasped. He thought he had prepared himself, but obviously, he hadn't adequately prepared himself for what he would find inside the hut. He had forgotten that it had been five hundred years since they left Sandover in the claws of the Metal-Heads. The monsters had ravaged everything. Shelves were up-heaved, machines were broken beyond repair and had rusted, and the Warp Gate had fallen over and was broken down the middle. But, worst of all were the signs of a struggle. Bloodstains that were centuries old stained the wooden floor, and the skeleton of an unknown elf lay in the corner. It looked like had had been ripped apart.

"Who do you think that is?" Daxter asked nervously.

"I don't know… and I don't want to know." Jak said. The elf, on a sudden whim, turned around and walked out the door. He dropped down to the ground level, Keira's workshop and room. Keira's workshop had been salvaged too. The A-Gav Zoomer was simply gone and the transport pad had a deep crack in it. Everything in general was in shambles.

Something on the ground caught Jak's eye. He walked over, knelt down and picked it up. It was Keira's old rag, the dirty, oil-covered one that she used. Jak laughed sourly as the memory from the night before this big mess surfaced from his mind. Back when he was a young mute hero and she was… the young innocent girl he remembered. Back when they were still good friends.

Jak set down the rag in its original position and looked at the door that led to Keira's room. But he didn't have the heart to go in there.

So he returned to the upper level, where he found Daxter going through piles of junk. "What are you doing?" The elf asked.

"Looking for that stupid Life Seed thing." Daxter replied, sending some valuable-looking notes flying.

"You mean that?" Jak asked, pointing up toward that ceiling. Daxter looked up and saw a glowing seed hanging in a basket near the roof.

"Not a very good hiding place, is it?" Daxter commented.

"You couldn't find it." Jak pointed out.

"Okay, smarty-pants, so how did you find it?" Daxter demanded.

"I felt it." Jak said simply. Daxter didn't question him. Jak had become super weird since that whole 'Dark Eco' thing affected him. Jak jumped up and grabbed the basket that contained the Life Seed.

The TalkBox activated almost instantly. "Well done, Jak!" The voice, Samos', praised. "And… Daxter, I suppose…" As Samos spoke those last words, Daxter mouthed them sarcastically behind the TalkBox's 'back'. "Before we came through the Rift long ago, I was nurturing that Life Seed from the Great Tree. Take the seed to Onin now, she will prepare it for Samos."

"You—you mean 'you'." Daxter corrected.

"No! The other me, Daxter!" Samos shouted. "My younger self needs the seed's power to become… 'Sagely'."

"So, let me get this straight!" Daxter hissed. "It's fair to say that by bring your younger self the Life Seed now, we helped you become the Sage you are today! We helped you get your powers in the first place! AND YOU NEVER THANKED US?"

"Thank you, Daxter. Now go do it!" Samos ordered. He then disconnected.

Jak sighed. "Must you always pick fights with him?"

Daxter huffed angrily, crossing his furry arms over his chest. "Well, he started it."

* * *

Sometime later, Jak walked into Onin's tent. "Ah, hello, Jak." Pecker said with his usual Spanish accent, and then he exploded. "What took you so long? We had to skip lunch waiting for you two!" Then Onin slapped her hands together, creating a miniature fireworks display, possibly to get Pecker's attention. "Okay, okay, Onin says 'Thank you for saving the Life Seed.' But I wouldn't say that if I were her! Give Onin the Seed now, she will prepare it for Samos." Jak gave Onin the Life Seed and she began to perform strange rituals over it. "Mmm… bird seed." Pecker said quietly as they watched.

"Back off, feather-weight!" Daxter yelled at Pecker.

The moncaw wheeled on Daxter. "Listen, Tiny Tail, I was leading my hundredth flock south before you had fur one between your legs!" Pecker paused. "Not that your fur means anything."

Ever so Daxter-like, he had an insult ready. "At least I'm not some over-stuffed, over-yappin', feather-dustin' mouthpiece for the world's oldest professional!" Daxter began to flap his arms, comically impersonating Pecker. "Jak says 'Have a nice day.' Jak says 'I can't think on my own.' Jak says 'Go bite yourself'!"

Pecker squawked angrily. "Hey! This is my _job_ , okay! And now you've _really_ pissed me off!" Both Pecker and Daxter got into martial arts fighting stances, ready to kick each other's butts when…

Jak rolled his eyes. "Knock it off! Both of you!" He added the last part when Daxter slumped, but Pecker attempted to strangle him, pretending that he thought Jak was only speaking to Daxter.

Pecker stopped, for even he knew what Jak was like when he was stressed and upset. "You're lucky I haven't had lunch yet." Pecker said, poking Daxter in his furry little chest. "Onin says that the Life Seed is now ready for young Samos. Take it to him now in Haven Forest. That Seed will allow Samos to finally communicate with the plants of the forest. Go, quickly."

Jak took the Life Seed and walked out of the hut.

* * *

Jak had been looking all over the forest for twenty minutes when he finally found Samos sitting under the biggest tree in the forest.

Jak walked over. "Samos told me to… I mean you told me to… your older self… ah… whatever." Jak finished, giving up on making sense of the situation. "We heard you needed the Life Seed." Jak lightly tossed the seed to young Samos, who caught it.

"Yes, its power will help me speak to the plants." Samos said. "Just give me a few minutes." Samos then began to mediate in the way that Jak had seen thousands of times back in Sandover.

The elf sat down on the grass with a sigh. There was not telling how long this was going to take. "Don't go too far away." He said to Daxter, who was busy chasing stray butterflies in an almost feline way. "You never know when Metal-Heads might attack." Jak absentmindedly started to pick at the grass, but stopped when he saw Samos grimace. _Oops_. Jak thought. He had forgotten how touchy Samos was with mutilating plants. Jak almost laughed. Samos was almost okay with the fact that he was a murderous demon, as long as he didn't harm any plants.

Jak sighed again and did his best to settle down, which was hard. Jak was a man who craved action like a drug. Sitting around like this was murder.

After several minutes of watching Daxter chase butterflies, and stopping Daxter from almost eating one, Samos finally came out of his trance.

"By the Precursors!" Samos gasped as the plants released him. "Jak! The Life Seed gave me a terrible vision! The Baron plans to destroy the Precursor Stone! He aims to crack it open somehow. If he does this, the energy released will be beyond comprehension! It will destroy the world, and more, ending all life! The plants are crying out for protection! You _must_ stop the Baron, Jak! Stop him, however you can!"

"You really are Samos." Daxter grumbled. "Once the _plants_ are in danger, then things become top priority! The plants? What about the rest of us?"

"Dax, shut up." Jak said as he walked away.

* * *

Jak walked into Torn's office twenty minutes later and found Torn. "Torn, we've got a big problem." Jak said. He then proceeded to tell the ex-Krimzon Guard what Samos had told him. Torn's face grew graver and graver with every word.

"This is all my fault." Torn said when Jak had finished. "If I had kept my nerve, Praxis would've never gotten the Stone from us."

"Don't worry about it." Jak said quietly. "I understand why you did it. If it were me, I would have done the same exact thing."

Torn looked up in surprise. Jak must've figured out how he felt about Ashelin, but… "Are you saying you've got someone… special?"

Daxter looked over at Jak to see what he would say. He remembered how Jak had confessed his 'love' for Keira. "I did… once." Jak said finally. "A long time ago." And he left it at that.


	37. The Final Race

The final race was today, and Jak knew it. People had been talking of nothing else for a week. Everyone in the Underground was placing bets as to who would win. Of course, Erol had no one betting for him. Even though he had won the race many times before, people were hoping that he'd lose.

"So, who do you think will beat Erol?" One man asked Jak. (No one except Keira, Daxter, Samos, Erol, and that assassin knew that Jak raced under the alias 'Seth')

"That Seth guy." Jak said instantly, with the merest hint of a smile. "He definitely has what it takes to beat Erol.

"Yeah!" Daxter piped up. "He's cooler and has more girls…"

"Shut up." Jak hissed.

"Right."

It was time for Jak to get to Keira's garage. So Jak got up and calmly walked out of the Underground Hideout to get over to the garage unnoticed.

* * *

Jak and Daxter walked into the Garage to find Samos waiting for them. "Jak, Keira will be here in a minute, but she wants you to get into your racing outfit." Samos pointed at the blue racing outfit on the bench.

Jak grabbed them and went into another room to change.

* * *

Jak walked back out into the Garage in the blue racing uniform a while later just in time to see Keira come out from behind the curtain. Both Jak and Keira were careful not to make eye contact.

"So, what's behind the curtain?" Jak asked, staring firmly at the silhouette behind the curtain.

"Okay, I'll show you guys what I've been working on if you promise not to laugh." Keira said, glaring at Daxter.

"Oh! I love surprises! And I love to laugh!" Daxter said. "Show me! Show me!"

Keira pushed back the curtains and Jak stared at what was behind them. "I've been using old artifacts to make a replica of our crashed Rift Rider machine." Keira said. Indeed, it was an exact replica of the very machine that had sent them into the future in the first place. "We can use this to get back home." She said, patting the metal frame with more than a little pride in her voice.

"That's my girl!" Samos exclaimed proudly.

"But I'm still missing a few pieces." Keira continued.

"Figures." Samos grumbled.

"I haven't managed to find a Time Map. And I need that red energy gem that history books call the 'Heart of Mar'." Keira said. "And I've looked in every book on Precursor history that I can find, but the Rift Ring seems to have vanished into thin air."

"You did all this?" Jak asked, amazed. Then he trailed off. "I mean… er… that's useful."

Daxter groaned. "Please! Will you two quit moping around and make up all ready?"

Jak chose to ignore Daxter's comment. "I've seen that Heart of Mar gem. Krew has it. Don't worry, Keira, I'll get those artifacts."

Suddenly, the speakers shrieked as the computer voice came on-line. "Attention all drivers, the Class One Championship Race is about to begin. Kindly report to the race track."

"Well…" Jak sighed. "Here goes… the Race of my life."

Keira suddenly had a flashback of the day Tigran had died. He had said the same exact thing before he walked to the track and the race that would end with him dead, burned, and nailed to the concrete floor of the track.

"Jak, wait!" She said suddenly. Jak stopped, but didn't turn around. "I just want you to know… well… you're the best racer I've ever seen. And… well… please be careful."

" _Jak's_ the best racer?" Daxter demanded. "Hey! What about me? I helped get us here!"

"Do you want to drive?" Jak asked, looking down at his rodent friend.

Daxter's face blanched. "Against that crazy loon, Erol? No way! You've got the handlebars, brother! And you'd better keep us alive or I'll never speak to you again… obviously…"

"Leave 'em in the dust, Jak!" Keira said.

* * *

In Erol's garage, the Commander was meeting with his personal assassin. "Eleven's grown too bold for his own good." Erol said. "I'm changing your assignment. I'm putting a hit on him now."

The assassin grinned behind his black mask. "Finally."

"Do you remember that racer I had you take care of several years ago?"

"Tigran?" The assassin asked.

"Yes. Do you think you could maybe recreate that 'accident'?" Erol asked. "It was quite a shot. Could you do it again?"

"I've improved over the years." The assassin said, shouldering his rifle. "It will be a piece of cake."

"Haha!" Erol laughed. "Now this is what I call killing two moncaws with one stone. I'll get rid of the Dark Eco Freak, and if Keira cares about him as much as I suspect, it will destroy her life. She'll come crying to me, begging me to help her."

"Very good, sir." The assassin said automatically.

"You just make sure that the Freak is dead before he crosses the finish line, and I'll make you a rich man." Erol said.

The assassin saluted. Now they were talking money, now he really had the assassin's attention. "You can count on me, sir."

* * *

Jak walked out onto the track, fully disguised, and was instantly confronted by Erol. "You fool, you actually came." Erol spat. "You know, you're going to end up just like your predecessor if you don't lose your cockiness."

Jak recalled the name of the man who raced for Keira before him. "What do you know about Tigran's death?" He demanded.

"I know a lot more than anyone else." Erol said, lowering his voice so that only Jak could hear him. "Seeing as I'm the one who ordered him killed."

Jak blinked. "Tigran wasn't killed. There was an accident on the track. His zoomer exploded, Keira told me."

"Oh no, it wasn't an accident by a long shot. My person assassin, you've met him, is a great shot. He was able to hit the gas tank of the zoomer."

"The gas tank?" Of coarse! Shooting the gas tank of a zoomer would cause an explosion. "So… you're responsible for Tigran's death!"

"Not only Tigran's death, but Bease's as well. I actually killed him myself, right in his own garage." Erol said. Jak recognized the name of the man who ran Bease Racing before Keira.

"You're an evil, sadistic bastard, you know that?" Jak stated.

"I try." Erol said. "But, the best part of Tigran's death was watching Keira cry over her dying boyfriend's body."

"Boyfriend?" Jak asked, confused.

"Why yes, we all know that she was rather… fond of him. She kissed him as he lay dying. And he told her continually that he loved her." Erol paused. "What? Didn't she tell you?"

Jak couldn't speak. But one thought played over and over in his dazed mind. _Keira had a boyfriend while I was in prison?_ Jak couldn't take it anymore. He turned and walked over to the racer that waited for him. Jak got on, and Erol got on the one next to him.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Erol hissed. "I want more than just to win, Eco Freak! I want you!"

"Okay, that's just wrong." Daxter said loudly, so some of the other racers heard too. "If you're after that, the least you could do is buy him a drink!"

Jak gagged loudly and Erol blanched.

And then Praxis, on a floating podium hovered just above the track. "Welcome to the four hundred and fiftieth annual Haven City Racing Championship to take place this day of October 3, 2269! And greetings racers! Today, your nerve and skill will be tested for our amusement! If by some small chance, one of you manages to beat our Grand Champion, Erol, you will be awarded a month's supply of Eco and a short tour of my Palace!" Then Praxis added in an undertone. "To see how the other half lives…" Then louder. "Good luck, and die bravely! Ready! Get set!" Jak and Erol leaned forward in anticipation. "Go!"

Every racer shot forward, but Jak and Erol got to the head of the pack almost instantly. "You'll never win, Freak!" Erol yelled.

"I'll win… or die trying!" Jak yelled back, using a boost to get ahead of Erol.

* * *

It was the fifth lap, and everyone had crashed or was dead except for Jak and Erol. They appeared just about evenly matched, neither seemed able to hold to top spot for long. It was only a short distance to the finish line and Jak was slightly ahead.

* * *

Up in the stands, the assassin watched the Eco Freak approach the finish line. It was now or never. The assassin raised the weapon…

* * *

Jak watched the finish line draw closer in slow motion. Erol was slightly behind him… he was winning and nothing was going to stop him now… except…

Jak suddenly got the strangest feeling that he was in danger. He didn't know what it was, but something was definitely wrong…

* * *

The assassin aimed and shot a single bullet that was right on target…

* * *

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice yelled, "TURN!" Right into Jak's ear. Jak was so surprised that he jerked the handlebars. He happened to zoom right into Erol.

"What the…" Erol instinctively slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision.

Jak didn't know that he had dodged at just the right time. The bullet had hit the armor of the zoomer and bounced off harmlessly. The danger feeling disappeared and Jak pulled back on course. He left Erol far behind and crossed the finish line in first place.

Jak slammed on the brakes. "You did it! You did it!" Daxter yelled.

Jak's heart was soaring. The entire stadium was cheering madly for him. Sure, they wouldn't be doing that if they knew who he really was, but it felt good all the same. His eyes scanned the crowd. Keira was screaming her head off in the manager's box, but then Jak remembered what Erol had said to him before the race.

But he would talk to Keira later. Praxis floated down, unable to recognize Jak with the helmet. He tossed a Palace pass to Jak, who caught it deftly. Daxter was blowing kisses at random people in the crowd. "I love my public!" He exclaimed.

"Ahh… a brave man of the people. Seth, is it? Congratulations, you are the first man to ever beat Erol in a race. Remove your helmet." At first, Jak thought of doing no such thing, and then Praxis added, in a low voice that only he could hear. "In my world, good men are either bought or broken, so which is it going to be?" Jak frowned angrily.

"Neither." Jak said, removing his helmet. You could hear a collective gasp go around the stadium. Bet none of them expected this.

"What?" Praxis gasped right along with them.

"Just a little closer, Praxis." Jak said. "We need to talk."

"Fool!" Praxis spat. "Don't you get it, Eleven?"

"Why do you persist with this 'Number Eleven' thing?" Jak demanded. "My name is Jak!"

"You aren't worthy of a name! You are a weapon!" Praxis roared. "Don't you get it? It's over! All the heroes died long ago! Only survival remains, by whatever means!"

"Whatever means?" Jak repeated angrily. "If you crack open that stone, you'll kill us all!"

"You still don't understand!" Praxis cried in a fury. "I can do whatever I want! This City is mine! These lives are mine! This war is mine! And in war _people die_! Kill him!" Several of the guards lowered their weapons to blast Jak into oblivion.

Jak crouched, ready to fight for his life, when a guard looked passed Jak. "Look out!" He yelled. Jak spun around and saw that Erol was racing right at him.

Erol grinned insanely as he aimed to run Jak over. "I win, Jak!" He hissed.

The Dark Elf rolled out of the way just in time as Erol shot past. He was now going straight into the Dark Eco. A split second before Erol impacted, Jak transformed into his Dark self, thereby shielding him from the explosion.

Erol hit the Dark Eco barrels and the whole thing exploded. Dark Jak was protected by his Dark powers, but he could only assume that Erol had not survived. As far as he knew, Erol had no channeling powers of his own. The Dark Eco cleared enough to reveal Erol mask lying on the ground, Erol's body nowhere in sight, and Praxis managed to survive by getting out of the way in time. Praxis pointed straight at the Dark monster. "After him!" He ordered.

Dark Jak looked around for an escape route, for even he couldn't possibly face every guard in the City. Dark Jak leapt up into the stands. People screamed and ran, but Dark Jak paid them no attention. Instead, he ran out into the outside area of the stadium section. Then the demon ran like the hounds of Hades were after him towards the closest hiding place, where he could be safe: the garage. Dark Jak ran in and hid in a small corner.

Suddenly, the door to the track opened and Keira ran in. "Jak!"

Dark Jak, unable to say anything in any normal Elvin language, growled at her, warning her to keep away.

Keira gasped when she saw the thing in the corner. It was the first time she had ever seen the Dark Monster in person. She backed away in fright. "Just stay back!" She ordered. "Don't come near me!"

Dark Jak looked away from her in shame and tried to make himself as small as possible in the corner.

"Don't worry, Keira." Daxter began helpfully. "Jak's got it under control. If he didn't, he'd be out there killing people right now."

It took several minutes, but Dark finally disappeared, leaving only Jak. He got out of the corner, head still hung in shame. He never wanted Keira to see his Dark form.

"I can't stay here for long." Jak said slowly. "It's not safe for me here."

Keira didn't say anything for several moments. Finally, she said. "Come with me."

Jak followed Keira out of the garage,

* * *

Keira drove Jak to a small house in the Slums. Jak didn't once say a single word during the ride, but Daxter sure talked enough for the both of them. Jak and Keira jumped out of the two-seater zoomer. Jak eyed the place. "So, what's this?" He asked finally.

"This is Carla's house, where I've been staying for over two years." Keira said. "She's a widow who lost both her husband and her son years ago, but she took me in when I had no where else to go." Keira walked in first, Jak followed quietly behind, with Daxter on his shoulder. "Carla, I've brought someone." Keira called into the house. An older woman walked into the room. She had blonde hair that had streaks of gray in it and blue eyes. "Don't freak." Keira said quietly.

Quite suddenly, the woman called Carla did freak. She pointed right at Jak. "Oh my Precursors! It's him! The murderer!"

Keira interrupted her. "Carla, stop! This is Jak. Remember, I told you about him. Besides, Jak promises that he'll be good, don't you?" She asked, looking at the elf in question.

"What? Oh, sure." Jak said quickly. "Don't worry… er… Carla. I'm not going to kill you or anything."

She looked at Keira. "But… I thought you said that the wanted man wasn't the Jak you knew…?" Carla asked. But Keira remained silent, signaling that she wasn't going to answer her right that moment. "Uh… if you'll excuse me…" She left the room.

"Hey, lady, this is a nice place you've got here." Daxter followed her out of the room. Jak could only hope he wasn't going to flirt with her, she was much too old for him.

This left Jak and Keira alone in the room together. Suddenly, Jak spoke. "How could you?" He asked quietly.

"What?" Keira asked.

"How could you, Keira?" Jak demanded, looking over at her, an angry fire in his eyes. "I heard what you went and did! I was in fucking prison for two damn years and you go off with some man!"

"What are you talking about?" Keira asked, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Jak said. "Tigran! I've heard that relationship went a bit deeper than business."

"How… how did you find out about that?" Keira asked.

"Erol told me, before the race." Jak said. "He said that Tigran said he loved you and that you kissed him when he dying!"

Keira's mouth hung open. "Since when did you believe a single word Erol said?" Keira asked. Jak didn't answer, but glowered angrily. Keira sighed. "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?" Jak demanded.

"I won't deny that Tigran… had feelings for me. But those feelings were never returned. I never loved Tigran. He was like a brother to me… like you used to be a brother to me. He wanted more than that, but I… never loved him that way."

"Oh yeah? Explain the kiss." Jak ordered.

"Okay… I did kiss him." Keira admitted. "But you've got to understand, Jak! He was dying, it was his final wish. I—I couldn't say no." Jak didn't say anything for the moment. "But don't try to blame all this on me! You were in prison… _prison_ , Jak!"

"Oh yes! I was having the time of my fucking life in there!" Jak yelled sarcastically. "Getting tortured, beaten, almost r…" Jak almost let his terrible secret slip, but he quickly recovered. "And, as an added bonus, I'm going to die soon! Yes, my life is in perfect order!"

"Jak!" Keira yelled to silence him.

But Jak had worked up a steam and he couldn't stop. "I've been through things that would kill you! I am the only survivor! Thousands died before the Dark Warrior program even started, and the rest died slow painful deaths by Dark Eco Poisoning! Only I survived!"

"But you didn't!" Keira yelled, finally making herself heard and Jak stopped shouting. "You did die in prison. I had a dream, Jak, over a year and a half ago… but I never forgot it. In my dream, you told me that you wouldn't survive where ever you were and I'd never see you again."

"Keira…"

"I didn't believe it! I couldn't believe it!" Keira yelled, the beginning of tears in her eyes. "But, now I can only accept it as the truth. I never saw Jak again. He died in prison, not physically, but spiritually and emotionally." Now her face was running with tears.

After a long silence, Jak spoke, but his voice was calmer. "It was a… necessary death. I was young and innocent. You have no idea what happens to young and innocent boys in prison. I had to let that side of me die or I wouldn't have survived, or I would have been more screwed up than I am now."

Keira frowned, then walked up to him briskly. She raised her hand, but the elf was too shocked to react. She swung and slapped Jak as hard as she could across the face.

The Dark elf was in shock. During his life he had been tortured, shot, beaten, electrocuted, eaten, and had been killed in general; but he had never ever been slapped! (Much less by a woman!)

But Jak barely had time to stay in shock over the slap, mainly because of what happened immediately after. Keira then wrapped her other around Jak's neck and pulled the completely surprised elf into a kiss. Only complete and total shock registered for a few moments and Jak didn't think of kissing her back for several seconds. Then, slowly, the initial shock wore off and he began to kiss her back.

Jak's hands moved seemingly on their own, both wrapping around Keira's body to pull her closer.

Then, after what seemed an eternity, the two pulled apart. Silence reigned for several seconds. Finally, Jak spoke. "Okay… what just happened?"

Keira looked just as shocked and surprised as he was. "I—I don't know." She admitted, blushing deeply. "I was just so mad at you and… then…"

"You kissed me." Jak said with a rather wicked grin.

"Er… yeah… I guess I did." Keira said. "But I, for one, rather enjoyed it."

Jak laughed, but not for long as Keira threw herself at Jak once again. The elf, caught off-guard once again, fell down onto the couch as she tackled him.

Keira straddled the young elf, pinning him to the couch. "I've waited a long time for this. Just you and me."

"You friend Carla and Daxter are still in the house." Jak pointed out nervously.

"I don't care." Keira kissed him again. Though Jak wasn't as surprised anymore, he kissed her back. But he couldn't help but wonder how they had gone from arguing to making out in thirty seconds flat. It seemed kind of far-out. But Jak wasn't complaining. Keira pulled away slightly earlier than Jak would have liked, though. "I've really liked you for a long time." She said. "I missed you." Keira embraced Jak, who returned it, somewhat awkwardly. "I've missed you so much, Jak."

"I've missed you too." Jak said.

Suddenly… "Eww! Gross! I leave you two alone for _two_ minutes and you get ideas?" Jak and Keira looked around, and their worst fears were confirmed. Daxter and Carla were standing in the doorway. Daxter had his little arms crossed in disgust and Carla had her eyes firmly averted.

"Nothing happened! I swear!" Jak said, pushing the she-elf off him and getting up off the couch.

"And how can I believe you?" Daxter demanded. "I know how you two are. 'Oh no, we're not madly in love with each other'!"

"What?" Jak demanded, afraid that Daxter was going to tell everyone about his confession.

"Daxter, that's enough." Keira said. "Nothing's happening between Jak and I."

"Not yet, anyway." Daxter hissed, then he looked at Jak. "Jak, buddy, how could you do this to me? You two are friends, and you're both my friends! What if you break up totally mad at each other? Not only will your friendship be ruined, but I'll also be the middleman! And worse, what if you stay together and it becomes embarrassing to be around you guys in public? What then?"

"Shut up, Dax!" Jak yelled desperately. "You're over-reacting! What? Two childhood friends can't hug each other anymore?"

"Not when those two childhood friends have a history of romance." Daxter pointed out.

"Shut up!" Both Jak and Keira yelled, blushing.

"Okay, that's enough!" The woman Carla said suddenly. She rounded on Daxter, who shrunk under her glare. "You! They are quite old enough to decide to date!" Jak blushed more and more. "As long as they consent, they can do anything they want!" Carla swiftly winked at Keira and Jak caught it. He grew more confused.

"Umm…" Jak said, trying to defend himself. "It's not really like that…" Jak began.

"And you!" Carla round on Jak. The Dark Elf involuntarily shrunk as she turned her sights on him. Jak had no idea what it was like to get yelled at by a parent, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was how Carla was yelling at him now. "Quit hiding your feelings! You only have so long… you've got to live now!" Jak shivered, this woman had the effect that Onin had. She seemed to know more than she should. Like she knew that he only had about a month to live.

Jak suddenly grabbed Keira's arm. "I need to talk to you… alone." He led her out of the living room and found his way to a bedroom.

"Jak?" Keira asked, uncertainly.

"No, I don't want what you are thinking about." Jak said, reading her mind. "But I do need to talk to you… about us."

"I don't understand." Keira said as Jak locked the door.

"Keira, you care about me, right?" Jak asked.

"Of course I do." Keira said.

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't fall in love with me." Jak clarified. "I—I don't have that much longer to live. I can't allow you to hurt yourself like that. If you fall in love with me, and I die, the loss to you would be… unbearable. I can't let you feel that pain. We can't be together… Keira. You care for me too much already."

Keira lowered her eyes. "I understand, Jak." She said sadly.

Jak cupped her cheek with his hand. She looked up at him, tears running down her face.

"I'm sorry." Jak turned and walked out.

Daxter met Jak in the living room. "That was…" He paused. "Fast."

"We talked." Jak said shortly. "We have agreed on something." He glared at Daxter. "We're not getting together. I hope you're happy."

"Is this because of what I said?" Daxter found he suddenly regretted saying those words. "Don't you love her?" He asked quietly.

"It's too late now." Jak said. "Besides, it's because I love her that I can't be with her. It's over." Daxter didn't understand what exactly Jak was saying. It didn't make any sense. He couldn't be with Keira because he… loved her? Where was the logic in that? Jak sighed. "Well, I've still got this." He pulled out the Palace security pass. "Erol is dead, and I can only hope that he felt the pain that Dark Eco causes before it tore his body apart. Praxis is still alive and Krew… I'm getting sick of looking at him." Jak shuttered in disgusted.

"You've got that right." Daxter said, copying Jak's shutter.

"Let's go get Praxis!" Jak hissed. He walked out of the house without ever looking back.

Keira watched him go, tears still running down her face. "It's too late." Keira whispered to Jak's retreating back. "I didn't think I still loved you, but I only love you now more than ever. I love you, Jak."


	38. In The Palace

Jak drove as fast as he could to the Palace. He stopped near the huge front door and jumped off the zoomer.

"You need Purple Clearance for this door." The computer voice said as he approached. Then, it must've sensed the pass on him for the blast doors opened without complaint. "Access granted."

Jak walked in and walked straight over to the elevator, for there was nothing there to stop him. He stepped onto the elevator and it immediately began to move up towards the Throne Room. It reached it's desired level and stopped. The elf stepped out of the elevator and made his way over to the large blast doors the stood between him and the Throne Room. The doors opened up for him instantly. Surprise, surprise, there were only two Guards guarding the Throne room. Jak grinned, this was almost too easy. He quickly conjured two daggers and approached the guards calmly.

"Hey! You…" One guard said, rushing up to him. With a swift movement, Jak slashed the Dark Dagger across the unfortunate man's throat. The combination of the Dark Eco poisoning his system and the blood loss meant he was dead within half a second. Jak threw the other dagger at the other Guard, who got hit right between the eyes, he too died instantly.

The Dark elf calmly walked past the dead men and further into the Throne room. However, he only made it about half-way to the empty throne when he heard footsteps behind him. Jak turned around to find a gun in his face, and that gun was being held by a certain red-head.

"I shouldn't have trusted you!" The woman, Ashelin, hissed, flicking the safety off the weapon.

"Back to square one, huh, Ashelin?" Jak asked sourly.

"Don't play with me!" The deadly she-elf hissed. "I thought you were on our side, but all along you were undermining our war with the Metal-Heads! Whose side are you on?" The female demanded, her finger on the trigger, and clearly ready to blow off Jak's head.

"Praxis got to you too?" Jak asked. "Ashelin, can't you see? If your father cracks open the Precursor Stone, the explosion will kill all of us! Don't you get it?" Jak pushed the gun out of his face.

"Yeah, not so hard, huh?" Daxter said. "Even I can figure this one out!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Jak began to walk away.

"Don't you move!" Ashelin ordered, pointing the gun at Jak's back.

Jak sighed. "Don't shot me, Ashelin." But, never the less, he stopped in his tracks. "You're a good person, unlike your father. I don't want to kill you."

Ashelin ignored him. She pulled out a small communicator. "Vin, come in." She ordered.

Vin's voice came over the speakers. "What? What? I've got my hands full here, you know!"

Ashelin rolled her eyes. "Later. Listen, you know all about the Precursor Stone myth, right?"

"Sure." Vin said. "I did my doctorate in Precursorian Theoretical Physics… why?"

"What would happen if the Stone were to be… say… violently cracked open?" Ashelin asked.

"Great." Vin said, with quite a lot of fear in his voice. "As if I didn't have enough to worry about and you've given me one more thing to dread, thank you very much!" Vin paused, the sound of someone typing on a computer could be heard in the background. Vin was obviously calculating the power of such a blast. "Now, assuming someone actually had the stone… a run away Eco surge from cracking it open would theoretically… DESTROY EVERYTHING!"

"Everything?" Ashelin repeated, a look of horror on her face that her father could be putting everyone's lives at risk.

"All things! Every single thing! Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go throw up. Bye-bye!" Vin hung up.

Ashelin lowered the weapon, along with her head, and turned away from Jak. "Believe me, Ashelin, we've got to stop him." Jak said.

Ashelin turned back around to face Jak. "I'll try to find out more. But my father is meeting Krew in a few hours at a secret weapons factory near the dig." She handed Jak a new pass, but this one was black. "Here, that's my top-level security pass. It will get you into the factory, but it won't get you back out." Ashelin turned, and began to walk away, but she paused. "Jak, by the way… we never had this conversation." Then she walked away.

"Krew and Praxis are meeting at a weapon's factory?" Daxter asked.

"This doesn't seem right." Jak said. "I feel like I'm trapped in something bigger than myself."

"Well, I feel like we're trapped in a video game." Daxter said.

"Except this happens to be real-life, not some video game."

"I don't know…" Daxter said slowly. "Things are just turning out very strange."

"Let's just get the hell out of here." Jak said, walking back to the elevator, went down, and walked out the front door of the Palace. "We only met two guards?" Jak demanded. "I feel insulted! You'd expect the Palace to be crawling with guards!"

"Maybe you've killed most of the Guards?" Daxter suggested hopefully. "They get more, and you kill 'em."

"Damn, I can only hope the Metal-Heads aren't in short supply." Jak complained.

"Metal-Heads are never in short supply… sadly." Daxter said.

Jak began to head back to the hideout to see if he couldn't catch some sleep before he had to head over to the weapon's factory.

* * *

(Carla's House)

"So… _that's_ the infamous 'Jak'." Carla mused. "It's hard to believe that the Jak you knew is actually the murderer that everyone's been looking for." She looked over at Keira, who was looking out the window remorsefully. "What's wrong?"

"It's Jak." Keira said sadly. "He's confirmed what I was afraid of. He's dying. He… he refuses to start a relationship with me. He doesn't want me to fall in love with him because of the fact that he is dying. But I can't help it… it's too late. I love him. I even love what he's turned into."

Carla sighed. "It's a terrible thing… to love a dead man." Her voice was etched with pure sorrow.

"Your husband?" Keira asked.

"He… before his last mission, he suspected that he would die in the process." Carla sighed. "He was… sent out to the Metal-Head nest and he… never came back. Shortly after… my son… he was… kidnapped." Keira gasped. Who would do such a thing? Steal a little kid from such a nice woman! Carla shook her head. "It's my fault."

"No, it wasn't!" Keira said instantly.

"You don't even know what happened…" Carla said bitterly.

"Then tell me."

Carla didn't say anything for several seconds. Finally, she spoke. "What if I told you that I'm not who you think I am?"

"Carla…?"

"That's not even my real name." Carla laughed bitterly. "I changed it to protect myself after my husband disappeared and my son was gone." Keira stared at the woman she thought she knew. "My real name is Anastasia." The young she-elf stared. "Yes, it is quite more noble that 'Carla', but I couldn't keep it. It was mush too dangerous. You see, I am the former Queen of Haven City."

Keira didn't say anything for almost a full minute. "What?"

"I know." Carla, or Anastasia, said. "My husband, Damas, was as good a King as he was a warrior. We had a son together."

"What was your son's name?" Keira asked.

"He didn't have a name." Anastasia said sadly. "It is custom for royal children not to be named until their sixth year. I didn't like it, having been born into a regular family, but Damas insisted on it, he himself not having received his name until his sixth birthday. He wouldn't let us name our son, not even in private. But he was kidnapped before he could receive a name."

"What happened to your husband… really?" Keira asked.

"He… felt an obligation to go out and face the Metal-Head Leader in single combat. He left for the nest… and he never came back. I can only assume he's dead. Few can face the Metal-Head Leader, and live to tell about it. After Damas disappeared, one of his Generals, Praxis, who had lusted for the throne for years, found his opportunity now that there was no one on the throne. He overpowered my loyal guards and took the throne of Haven for himself. I was forced to flee with my son into the Slums. Shortly thereafter, he was kidnapped." Carla sighed. "But… enough about my past, that can't be undone. I'm more concerned about your future. What about you and Jak? Is—is there no hope?"

"Jak believes that there is no hope." Keira said. "And, during the time I've known him, which is for as long as I can remember, if he sees hope in a situation, there probably is. But if he can't see it, there probably isn't."

"He seems to be a warrior at heart." Carla said. "Funny, he reminds me so much of Damas. And if there's one thing I've learned from my husband, it's that warriors will fight for their lives until the very end."


	39. Orgins of a Hagai

Jak had nothing better to do for several hours until he had to go intercept the Baron at the Weapon's factory, and he was tired, so he decided to go back to the hideout for a quick rest, nightmares or no nightmares.

Jak walked sluggishly into the hideout. Jak didn't know why he was suddenly so tired all of the time. But it probably had something to do with Eco Poisoning for his death date was getting closer and closer.

Without glancing up or acknowledging anyone, Jak marched straight to his quarters and flopped down on the bed, not even bothering to remove his weapons or armor.

"Are you alright?" Daxter asked, concerned for his friend.

"I'm fine, Dax." Jak said softly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all." He began to fall asleep almost instantly. However, just before he was sucked into Dreamland, he whispered. "Wake me up in a few hours, K?"

"Sure thing." Daxter said, but his friend was already asleep.

* * *

(Dream-state)

It was another nightmare. The same damn one that tormented him for two years.

He was cornered… trapped… by the enormous Metal-Head Leader… he was completely at the monster's mercy. The Leader laughed and Jak could feel the pain in his broken body. He could also feel hot tears of defeat and humiliation run down his face.

The Metal-Head Leader stopped laughing and glared down at his victim. "I must admit, young elf, I haven't been quite so worked up in a long time. But, it was not enough. You are weak! You are worthless! You are dead!" He let out a short chuckle. "I expected a better fight from one of noble blood such as yourself!" This speech was completely lost on Jak's ears. _Noble blood? What did that mean?_ "Here ends my greatest enemy's line!" The Metal-Head Leader banished his tail with a small flourish, ready to disembowel the poor elf, just like in every single one of his dreams in the past.

Jak screwed up his eyes, waiting for the pain that would come. For the tail that would shove itself painfully through his stomach, for the painful wrench as it was pulled out, for the nauseating feeling of having his intestines slip outside his body. But… the pain never came. Jak waited, but nothing happened.

The elf opened his eyes and gasped. The Metal-Head Leader lay dead, and a bright light stood next to the monster's dead body… a Precursor.

The Precursor turned and 'looked' right at Jak. A strange motion, since Precursors had no eyes as we think of them. "Sometimes…" The Precursor said with a slow rumble reminiscent of an Oracle's voice. "The bravest and most effective form of combat is knowing when to dodge."

"What?" Jak asked. "I don't understand…"

"Then you will fail." The Precursor said gravely. "Do not give up, young warrior. A candle may flicker in the wind, but it does not go out. Thus is our hope. You must be the light, young warrior, you must be the light or this world will be swallowed by the Darkness."

"What darkness?" Jak asked.

"A Darkness that you know well." The Precursor said. "A Darkness that resides within your own body and mind." A new phantom appeared, this one was of Jak's inner demon. The elf understood instantly.

"Dark Eco." He said. "What… exactly… is it?"

"It is you." The Precursor said. "It is a physical manifestation of the Darkness that resides in your heart, a Darkness that every heart, no matter how pure, shares. But… your extreme hatred for the Baron has given your Darkness a life of its own. It feels the same pain you do, but it reacts with violence and anger."

"So do I." Jak said.

"That is because you are letting the Darkness consume you. It is taking your soul over faster than we originally intended." The Precursor said, its whole being radiating sorrow. "As a result, you will die sooner than originally thought."

"What?" Jak demanded. "When?"

"A few days." The Precursor answered.

"A—a few days?" Jak demanded. "But… that gives me no time!"

"You must hurry!" The Precursor urged. "There is still time to save you and your race. But you must hurry or all is lost… more than you know. For the War is coming…"

"War?" Jak asked. "What war?"

The Precursor smiled. "Soon enough… you will know. It's time for you to wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up, Great One, wake up." The Precursor said.

Then, Jak did wake up, quite suddenly too. He sat right up and yelled: "Holy shit!"

Daxter, who was not expecting this outburst, jumped. "Jak? Why are you awake? You've only been asleep for two minutes!"

"There's no time for that!" Jak hissed. "There's no time for any of that now!" He jumped off the cot. "Come on, Daxter, we're going to the weapon's lab right now!" Daxter reluctantly followed Jak and jumped up on his shoulder.

"Whatever you say, buddy." Daxter said.

Jak stormed into the hallway, nearly knocking some little girl down. "Hey!" The girl cried indignantly.

"Sorry." Jak quickly apologized. He turned to walk away and then stopped. He wasn't sure what he had just seen, but he had to make sure. He turned around to face the girl and gasped with shock.

It was the same girl he remembered from his earliest memory in the forest near Sandover… his very first encounter with her. It was Keira… the Keira he remembered from his childhood. "What is it?" Daxter asked. Then he looked down at the girl and saw it too. "Oh my God!"

"Oh my God!" Jak echoed. "Keira!"

The little girl frowned. "How do you know my name? We've never met."

Jak was completely speechless, and then he found his voice. "It doesn't matter." He said. "Keira, how old are you?" He asked out of curiosity.

"I'm this many." Little Keira said, holding up five fingers.

"Oh, Jak, there you are." A younger Samos walked over, followed closely by older Samos. "Ah, I see you've met my daughter, Keira."

Jak stared at old Samos. "Samos… what's going on here?"

Samos sighed. "Jak… come with me." Samos led the duo away from Samos and little Keira.

Finally, they came to a stop. Jak turned to Samos. "Just what the _hell_ is going on here?" He demanded.

"Yeah!" Daxter said. "That was Keira as a little girl back there!"

"Jak!" Samos interrupted before Jak could start yelling. "Okay, I'll tell you this much. Keira and I are from this timeline. We went back to Sandover… but I can't tell you how or why."

"So… where am I in all this?" Jak asked.

Samos gulped. Jak was getting awfully close to the truth, and that couldn't be allowed to happen yet. So the old Sage did the only thing he could do… he lied. "Oh, you're still five hundred years ago. When Keira and I traveled back, we found you homeless and parent-less. We couldn't just leave you."

"So, why am I here now?" Jak asked.

"I'm afraid no one can answer that." Samos said. "No one can tell you why things end up the way they do."

"Samos? Do you know what happens to me?"

Samos remained silent for several seconds. "To a point."

"Do I die?"

"I can't say." Samos said. "It all depends on you. I could tell you that you will die, but you could do things right and change your fate. But I could tell you that you live, but then you can make a mistake and die anyway."

"Tell me Samos, please, do I die in your reality?" Jak begged. "Do I?"

"I can't answer that question." Samos said.

"Samos!" Jak yelled, starting to lose his temper. "This is my _life_ we're talking about! Why can't you just give me some hope? I haven't felt hope in so long…" He suddenly glared at Samos. "This is your fault!"

"What?" Daxter demanded, but Samos had been expecting this for some time.

"It's your fault all this happened to me!" Jak accused. "I remember, Samos. 'We all know Jak and I need to go…' You made it sound like I had to go!"

"Would you have stayed behind if I had told you what would happen to you?" Samos asked.

Jak opened his mouth to argue… but then he paused. "No." He said. "I wanted to see where the Rift would take us and I wouldn't have believed you anyway." But Jak continued to glare at Samos in a way that said Jak still blamed him. "Why did you make me go, though? Why didn't you try and stop me?"

"Because… if I had forced you into not going through the Rift, somehow, the world would have been destroyed." Samos said.

"Why is the world always on _my_ shoulders?" Jak demanded. "Everything I do seems to either save the world or destroy it."

"The world depends on you because you are a hero." Samos said.

"The hero in me died, Samos." Jak said.

"No, he's just buried in there somewhere, under a load of Dark Eco." Samos said. "You need to find that hero, the hero that gives you the will to give everything you are for the good of the rest of the world."

"That's a bad deal!" Jak pointed an accusing finger in Samos' face. "Why should I put my life on the line for people afraid to risk their own?"

"Because you are the one with the courage to do it." Samos said. "Besides, you know, deep down, that it's the right thing to do."

Jak's mouth opened and closed as his brain worked to supply his mouth with a scathing reply, but none came. Jak growled. "I've got to go." Jak said. "I'm going out to the Weapon's lab… hopefully to kill Praxis before I die." The elf stormed away.

Samos watched Jak go. "I can only hope that hero is still alive in there… somewhere." Samos said sadly. "Or we are all doomed."

* * *

After a short ride in the Air Train, Jak jumped out of the transport. Daxter jumped out happily after him. The ride had been highly uncomfortable. Jak did not speak once, but it wasn't like when he was a mute, this silence was more awkward.

Finally, Daxter had to ask. "What's bugging you? You've been really quiet."

Jak sighed. "It's a dream that I had." He said. "I dreamed that a Precursor… never mind."

"No! What?"

"Well… my life-span's been shortened." Jak said. "I only have a few days left now."

"What?" Daxter demanded. "A few days!"

"I know." Jak said. "I've only got a few days to kill Praxis. Hopefully, it's going to be today."

"You're going to die and that's the only thing you're worried about?" Daxter demanded.

"What else is there?"

"Well, there's more to life than killing people!" Daxter said. "For example: are you still a virgin?" Jak didn't answer. "I'll take that as a yes. You shouldn't die a virgin! That's just wrong!"

"No, I'll tell you what's wrong!" Jak hissed. "Stupid people like you who think that sex is everything when it's not!" The elf paused. "Besides, that would only make things worse." He shook his head. "Can't you imagine it? Imagine me doing what I really want with her. She'd probably love me more than ever. Then what? I die, that what! I can't hurt her like that…"

"Wait a second… are we talking about Keira here?"

"Shut-up!" Jak hissed. "I can't do that… even if it means that I have to die a virgin."

"You are a sad man." Daxter said.

"I'm a dead man." Jak corrected.

They approached the doors and the computer came online. "You'll need top-level black clearance for this gate." The computer warned. Then it sensed the pass. "Access granted." The doors opened without complaint.

Jak walked into the weapons factory and the door slammed shut behind him. This unnerved him a little, and Daxter more than a little.

"Creepy." Daxter whispered.

"Shhh!" Jak hissed. He walked over to an elevator, stepped on it, and it moved down silently. They were in a large room now, with a group of about twenty Krimzon Guards.

"How did you…?" And then they recognized him. "It's the Dark Eco Freak! Get him!"

Jak, without any conscious thought, pulled out the morph-gun and shot as quick as lighting. However, he forgot that he had left it in Peacemaker mode. A ball of energy shot out at the guards, hitting the first one in the chest. And then the energy arched and split off to the other guards without decreasing in power. Within seconds, every guard in the room was dead.

"Whoa!" Jak said, holding up the weapon. "Now that's a weapon!"

"That was so sweet!" Daxter said. Jak put the gun back in its holster and continued on his way through the factory.

* * *

After a long, hard fight through the weapons lab, Jak finally made it to an elevator. He stepped on to it and it moved up and emptied out on the roof of the weapons lab.

There, he was greeted by Krew. "Jak? What are you doing here, eh?"

"Nothing." Jak said. "I just came to pay a visit."

"You made it through the factory alive? Quite a feat!" Krew said. "I knew you were special when I first met you, Jak. We've come a long way, eh?"

"Yeah, I'm getting real teary eyed." Jak said sarcastically. He looked towards the center of the large platform and, surrounded by scaffolding, was a large, and powerful looking weapon. "What's that?"

"Well, as you know, I love weapons!" Krew said. "I love how they look, how they feel, even how they smell!" Krew deeply breathed in the weapon's 'scent'.

Jak shook his head sadly. "I think you need serious help."

Krew ignored Jak's comment. "My favorite weapon was the impossibly powerful weapon that Mar built in the Wasteland to blow open the Metal-Head Nest. But the old fool died before he could use it, eh! Oh well… I have a new favorite. The Piercer Bomb I've just completed!" He gestured towards the bomb. "My masterpiece is powerful enough to crack open the Precursor Stone! The Baron's coming over with the stone now, and we'll hide the bomb and he stone in the last shipment of Eco to the Metal-Head Nest, a surprise dessert, eh." Krew tossed what looked like a weapon upgrade to Jak. "Just take this gun upgrade and forget what you saw here."

Jak shook his head again, but this time in anger. He would not allow people to bribe him! "Not this time, Krew." He growled. "I'm through being your hired gun!"

Krew growled angrily. "Then it's war, isn't it?"

"You don't want to do that, Krew." Jak said coldly. "I'll win. I'll kill you without blinking an eye."

"He's not bluffing, either." Daxter said. "He'll really do it!"

"No doubt." Krew growled. "You've killed so many others, you'll have no problem killing me. But… I do have weapons for my own protection."

"No amount of protection can protect you from me." Jak hissed, conjuring a dagger from nowhere. "Remember, I told you the day you betray me was the day I'd stab this dagger into your back." Jak laughed. "You'd better hope you've got a high Eco-tolerance. Oh, wait, I've got the highest Eco tolerance of any elf alive and I'm still dying. You don't stand a chance."

"Really?" Krew asked. "My friends say otherwise."

"Friends?" Jak asked, confused.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bunch of green blobs appeared, blobs that were exact replicas of the large blob. "Say hello to my Krones!" Krew laughed.

"Coward." Jak hissed.

"Hand-to-hand and swords won't work here!" Krew laughed. "Each one carries thousands of volts of energy. And if you try to cut it with a sword, it will turn into two functional Krones." Krew laughed diabolically. "Attack, my Krones!"

Several dozen of the Krones moved towards Jak. He growled and the dagger disappeared. The only good thing to be said about the Krones is that they moved slowly. Jak pulled out the Morph-Gun and switched it to Scatter mode. He shot the approaching Krones. The blast pushed them back several feet, but they kept on coming.

"Shit!" Jak swore. He shot again, but the Krones seemed unaffected.

Krew laughed in the background. "Shoot all you want! Even if you manage to destroy them, I have even more up my sleeve, and they'll never stop coming after you!"

The Krones got too close for comfort and Jak, for the first time, was forced to retreat. He jumped up on the scaffolding, praying that the Krones couldn't fly like their original copy.

"It's no good." Jak growled, watching the Krones trying, unsuccessfully, to reach his perch.

"Well, sitting up here isn't going to…" But Daxter's words were cut short as Jak let out a cry and lost his balance on the scaffolding, falling to the ground, hard, and gripping both his shoulder and leg. "What happened?" Daxter asked.

Jak grit his teeth as he pulled his hands away from the aforementioned areas. There was Dark Eco blood on his hands and large holes in his shoulder and leg, they healed, but it took a few seconds considering the size of the wounds.

"I float like a butterfly, and sting like a Wumpbee!" Krew said. "Nine millimeter bullets. Nice, aren't they?" Krew laughed. "I couldn't have you hiding out of reach of my precious Krones, eh!"

Jak glared up at Krew, a familiar fire burning in his eyes, one of complete and utterly unrestrained rage. "I'll… KILL YOU FOR THAT!" Jak roared. He got up from the ground and let out a feral roar of rage and Dark Eco began to flow in his system. Dark had returned!

Jak let his mind be pushed aside as Dark took complete control, the elf happy to let his evil twin to kill the floating blimp. His skin turned into a deathly gray color, as did his hair. With a painful wrench, horns forced their way out of his skull. His fangs grew at an alarming speed until they curled over his bottom lip. His fingernails grew into wicked, razor-sharp talons that were almost a foot long. His pupils expanded until they whit and blue had all but disappeared, leaving only deep black. This not only looked cool, but it gave him a field of vision that was many times that a normal elf.

Dark Eco cackled over Dark's skin as it advanced on Krew, ignoring the Krones that tried to attack him. It seemed the Dark Eco was too much for the Krones because they dissolved into a thousand pieces the second they got near the Demon. Krew seemed afraid for the first time. He shot at Dark with the huge bullets that his weapons could spit out, but the Demon's rage and Dark Eco powers gave his some sort of invisible armor, as the bullets merely bounced off his skin. Dark didn't even flinch.

Dark pointed at the hover chair that kept Krew floating and a single bolt of Dark Eco launched at the chair and destroyed it instantly. It hit the ground, hard. Dark walked up to the prone Krew and release some Dark Eco into the fat elf's body.

Krew caught the Dark Eco blast and screamed as the evil substance ate away at him. After a second, Dark stopped and allowed his host to take full control again to finish off the fat man. When Jak had returned to normal, he looked down and silently complemented Dark on his work.

Something caught Jak's eye. It was the Heart of Mar gem, lying on the ground before Krew, who was still alive against all odds. Jak picked it up.

"Is it too late to give my notice?" He asked.

"Yeah, we quit!" Daxter concurred.

"It's too late for Haven City." Krew hissed and coughed. "I've sold you all out!"

Jak's eyes narrowed. "Sold out… to who? To who, you bastard?"

"The Metal-Head Leader." Krew coughed. "You may have beat me, but you will not have the last laugh!" Krew pulled out a remote and pressed a red button, and dropped it, his job done.

A hissing noise came from the bomb. Jak realized with horror what Krew had just done. He had activated the bomb! Krew knew he was going to die, so he was going to take Jak with him. It was exactly the sort of thing that Jak would've done in his place. "Uh… I think we should be somewhere else right about now!" Daxter panicked.

Jak knew that he could never survive such a blast, no matter his healing powers. Healing powers mean little difference if you are in a million pieces.

Suddenly, a Krimzon Guard cruiser. Ashelin was sitting in the cockpit. "We're out of here!" She yelled.

Jak ran over and jumped in. "Get out of here, NOW!" He ordered. Ashelin took off, taking Jak and Daxter to safety. However, Krew was left on the platform, to suffer a death of his own doing.

"Oh well…" He sighed. Those would be his last words. The bomb exploded. It seemed to shake the world, and the area was suffused in light. The shock wave hit the back of the cruiser and almost knocked it out of the air. But Ashelin's skills as a pilot allowed her to keep the vehicle in the air and to drive safely out of the danger zone. Once they were out, Jak looked back. The entire weapons lab was in flames. There was no way Krew could have survived.

"What happened?" Ashelin asked.

Jak remembered what Krew had told him about him selling out the City. "I think we're in a shit-load of trouble." He said.

"Really? How so?" Ashelin asked.

"Krew sold out Haven City… to the Metal-Heads." Jak said. "I don't know what else is going to happen, but you can bet it won't be good for us."

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" Ashelin asked.

"Drop me off at the Stadium." Jak said. "I need to drop off something."

"Fair enough." Ashelin said, and she made a Wumpbee-line back to Haven City and the Stadium.

* * *

It only took a few minutes, and Jak jumped out of the cruiser in front of the Stadium. He started to walk away when Ashelin called out to him.

"Jak, wait!"

Jak stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

Ashelin started to say something. "I…" She paused, apparently unable to say what was really on her mind. Finally, she gave up and sighed. "I'm sorry that it's come to this." Then she flew away.

"What was that about?" Daxter asked.

Jak thought he had an idea what Ashelin really meant to say. But he was glad she didn't finish her thought, or what he thought she was thinking. That just… wasn't possible.

"Never mind." He didn't have time to deal with Ashelin or her misplaced feelings. He glanced at the Heart of Mar gem in his fist. It looked exactly as he remembered it years ago. He closed his fist around it. "Let's go." Jak said, walking up to the Stadium, or more specifically, Garage Three.

Jak walked into the Garage. "Keira? Are you here?"

Keira stepped out from behind the curtain where the Rift Rider waited to be used. "Jak? What are you doing here?"

Jak held up the Heart of Mar Gem. "I told you I'd get the artifacts. Just give me some more time, and I'll find the Time Map… if I have that time…" Jak added as an afterthought. He handed her the Heart of Mar. She accepted it quietly and went back to the Rider to install it. It only took a few seconds. Then she moved back out into the open

"Jak? Could I talk to you… just for a second?" Keira asked.

Jak didn't answer at first. "Fine."

Keira paused. "Alone?"

Jak turned to look at Daxter. "Out." He ordered.

"Fine!" Daxter huffed. "I can tell when I'm not wanted, thank you very much!" Daxter left.

As soon as he was gone, Keira tried to embrace Jak, but he merely shrugged it off. "Don't." He said simply.

Keira looked up at Jak angrily. "Don't?" She repeated Jak. "How could you say 'Don't'?"

Jak looked down at her. "I can't let you do that, Keira, for your own sake. I'm only thinking of you! Don't do this to yourself! Don't fall in love with a dead man!"

"Well, it's too late for that!" Keira said. Jak sighed and looked away. "I love you, Jak, and nothing you can ever say will change that! I know that you love me too. I can see it in your eyes." Keira paused. "Why can't things be the way they were… back in Sandover?"

"I've—I've changed." Jak said. "I'm… not that little boy anymore, Keira. He's the one you love, not me."

"I thought that too." Keira said. "I tried to convince myself that it was true, but it's not. I still love you, even more than ever."

"Keira… I… I'm dying!" Jak said. "I can feel it now. I can feel my life ebbing away from me. I can feel the… monster eating away at me… I'm tired more and more… I'll be dead soon. Keira, you've _got_ to stop loving me!" Jak practically yelled. "I don't care how you do it, just do it!"

"I can't." Keira said. "When I look at you, all I see is the man I love."

Jak stared at her. "Do you know what I see when I look in a mirror?"

Keira looked up at him. "No."

"I see a monster." Jak said. "A monster who has the blood of countless innocents on his hands. I see a murderer, a selfish creature who will stop at nothing to get what he wants." Jak looked down at one of the racing zoomers. Its shiny chrome reflected the image of Jak's inner demon. "I see myself… as I truly am. Look for yourself, and you'll see that it's true."

Keira stepped forward to look at Jak's reflection. She gasped and took a step back. She had seen the demon before, but she never imagined that Jak's Darkness even dominated his reflection. "Jak…" She said sadly.

"Now you see what I truly am." Jak glared at his reflection, and it glared back with those evil eyes. "A monster."

"Jak, I don't care what your reflection looks like." Keira said, turning away from the Dark reflection and facing the real Jak. "This is the Jak I see, and I love him."

Jak shook his head. "You have to forget about me."

"I could never forget about you." Keira said.

"If you love me at all, and you value your happiness, you will forget about me!" Jak yelled desperately.

"I can't…"

Jak felt his anger spike dangerously and he released it, to devastating effect. With a snarl, he backhanded the she-elf across the face, bearing her to the ground. It made Jak sick to hit Keira, but it was something he knew had to be done. He stood above her, breathing hard, and looking down on a very surprised Keira. "Can you forget about me now? I wouldn't even be surprised if you hated me!" Jak roared. "A loving boyfriend would NEVER strike his girl!" Keira slowly got to her feet, her hand covering the red mark that Jak had left on her face. "Forget about me, and forget about this foolish love! It will only break your heart!" Jak yelled.

Keira looked up at the Dark elf, tears were in her eyes. "I can't forget about you or hate you… not even now."

Jak stared at her in amazement. "You have brought this upon yourself!" He hissed. "By the way, I'm not dying at the end of the month. You'll only have to wait a few more days. Then you will know the pain I tried to save you from."

"It's better to have loved and lost… then to never have loved at all." Keira whispered.

Jak spun around and stormed out of the Garage, but he didn't get very far at all. As soon as he made it outside Keira's garage he felt his nausea return. The elf ran to a remote corner and vomited.

Strange, he had stolen, threatened, and murdered countless people without feeling one shred of remorse or guilt. But he hits Keira one time and he gets so sick that he vomits?

Jak put his sweaty forehead against the cool wall. Keira was just on the other side.

"I'm sorry, Keira… I'm so sorry…" He whispered. "And you're right. I do love you. I know it now. If only I had realized it sooner, we might've had a chance." He felt pain blossom from his general bodily area, reminding him of the Eco Poisoning that he had. Spasms of pain were the first sign of long-term Eco Poisoning. Jak suppressed a groan as the pain torn through him like a wildfire, intent on destroying everything it touched. "But it's too late now… for the both of us." Jak walked away.


	40. The Underport

Jak pulled up to the Hip Hog bar, owned by the now late Krew. Jak walked in and Tess met him at the door.

"Oh, Jak. I think you should know that I saw Krew hide something in that game." She pointed at an arcade-type game in the back. "And, what ever it was, he looked really nervous."

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, Krew won't be needing it anymore." Daxter said. "He's, shall we say, 'not all together' these days. Step aside, Jak!" Daxter ordered. "Let the 'game playa' do his stuff!"

"You're such an animal!" Tess commented.

Daxter jumped up on the arcade game, took the mallet in his little paws, and began to whack the small Metal-Head heads as they popped out of the holes.

Jak walked away and sat down at a table, absorbed in his own thoughts. _I can't believe I've only got a few more days left to live. I'm only nineteen and I'm dying? How could it come to this? I only wish… if there was one thing I could do over, it would have been to tell Keira that I loved her every single chance I got. We could've had years… if only I had allowed myself to come to grips with my true feelings._

Both had lost their first kiss, one that, by all rights, should have been with each other. Keira had kissed Tigran as he lay dying to fulfill his dying wish. Jak nearly lost even more than a first kiss back in prison… If Dark hadn't rescued him, he could've been… raped.

The memory popped unbidden to the surface of Jak's mind. Jak screwed his eyes up against the painful memory, which still haunted him after nearly two years. He could still smell the cheap booze…

He shook the memory off. That was in the past, and it couldn't be changed. However, the past was all he had, it wasn't like he had much of a future. Jak closed his eyes and let himself drift off into happier times.

* * *

(Flashback)

He had always known of the young Keira who lived with Samos, the Green Sage. She went back as far as his memory did, ten years ago. So why was he suddenly thinking of her differently?

A fifteen-year-old Jak sat on his bed, highly confused. He had always been good friends with Keira Hagai. In fact, they were more brother and sister than friends. And they had both known each other since forever, since even Keira shared the strange memory blank of their earliest years. So why was he thinking of her this way?

It's something every teenager goes through eventually, a heightened interest in the opposite sex. Friends that are girls suddenly become a boy's crush. This was happening to Jak with the fourteen-year-old she-elf.

He blushed as she came back into his mind. His teenage hormones began to create rather embarrassing fantasies involving himself and Keira.

Jak mentally slapped himself. He couldn't keep thinking about Keira like that. She was a friend… nothing more… right?

(End Flashback)

* * *

Jak scoffed quietly. He remembered those so-called 'embarrassing fantasies'. They weren't that embarrassing. But to a naive fifteen-year-old, they were. Mostly they involved kissing and making out.

They weren't anything like the modern fantasies that Jak had been having about her, ever since they had met up again. Maybe it was because he was older, more mature, that his new fantasies involved a large bed, lots of heat, and soundproof walls.

However, those particular fantasies could never, ever come true. If he was weak and gave into those primitive urges, thereby making her love him even more than she did now, not to mention his love for her… it would only make the expected eventuality of his death harder on the both of them.

But… it made him wonder. What if he never found out that he was going to die? Would he have allowed such a relationship?

Easy answer. Of course! He would most definitely start a relationship with Keira and hope that his fantasies would come true. But… what if Keira didn't want that? He wasn't so sure of that. He wouldn't rape her… not in a million years. But what he wanted more than anything in the world was just one night in bed with the woman he loved.

But, he couldn't… by the damn Precursors, he couldn't do it!

Suddenly, a loud triumphant shout brought Jak out of his inner-most thoughts. It seemed that Daxter had beat the score necessary to dislodge the item. Jak got up and walked over, standing next to Tess.

The Time Map, of all things, suddenly flew out of one of the slots. "The Time Map!" Daxter exclaimed as the artifact landed on the ground. "You know, sugar-plum…" Daxter began to Tess. Jak and Tess looked over at the door as it opened and their faces blanched. Two Metal-Head Grunts had just walked through the door, and they probably were not looking for a drink. "If any REAL Metal-Heads came to town, I'd bonk 'em just like I did in the game!"

"Daxter…" Tess began, shaking.

Daxter ignored her, still completely oblivious to the two Metal-Heads, which were approaching Daxter in a manner that suggested that they thought he was dinner. "They'd be all 'Don't hurt me, please!' And I'd be all: 'Too late, Metal-Monkies! You die screaming!' Know what I'm saying?"

"Um…" Jak said, pulling out the Blaster.

Daxter turned around and finally saw the gaping maws of the Metal-Heads. He could count how many teeth each one had. "Jak! I think these trophies still walking!" Jak fired at the Metal-Heads, their lifeless corpses fell to the ground. "Ma-ma-Metal-Heads? Metal-Heads in the City?" He panicked. "Where's Sig when you need him?"

"Sig?" Tess asked. "I think Krew sent Sig on one last mission… something about using Mar's Ruby Key to open some doors in the Underport."

Jak's eyes widened. A new piece of the puzzle just fell into place. "Of course! Come on, Dax, we need to get to the Underport right now!"

Tess picked up the Time Map. "What do I do with this?"

"Do you know a Keira Hagai?" Jak asked.

"Yes."

"Well, take the Time Map to her." Jak said. "She'll know what to do." Then Jak left the building.

"Don't worry, angel-cheeks." Daxter said to Tess. "Your hero shall return shortly." He bowed elegantly to Tess before he ran to join his friend outside.

Jak was in shock. It wasn't just those two Metal-Heads! Haven City was crawling with them! The TalkBox activated and Vin's panicked voice came over the speakers. "The Shield walls are down, I repeat, the Shield walls are down! It was sabotage! Kor did it!" Jak and Daxter looked at each other in surprise, but Vin screamed over the speakers. "I can't hold them back much longer! The Metal-Heads are at the door! They're breaking through! AUGH!"

Jak grabbed the TalkBox right out of the air. "Vin! Are you alright?" No answer. "Do you need help?" Vin didn't reply, this time, only static answered. Jak hung his head and turned off the TalkBox.

"Is he… dead?" Daxter asked.

"I don't know… but it won't do us any good to hope." Jak said, staring at the speakers. "Do you think Vin was telling the truth. Do you think Kor shut off the shields?"

"This ain't the place to discuss it, man." Daxter said.

"You're right. We can figure this out and mourn the dead later. We've got to go." He began to run for the Underport entrance, which he learned was nearby.

Daxter spoke while Jak ran. "Do you want me to mourn you if you die?"

Jak thought about this for several seconds, then he said: "No."

"Why?" Daxter asked as Jak jumped up and stole someone's zoomer to avoid the Metal-Heads on the ground. Jak took off.

"Because I'll be somewhere better than this place." Jak said. "I won't be in pain anymore. I won't have to deal with this shit anymore. For the first time…" Jak paused, as though embarrassed to finish his thought. "I'll know the true meaning of peace."

"But I don't want you to die." Daxter said.

"I don't want to die either." Jak said. "But there's nothing I can do about it. People tell me there's hope, yet… I do not see it."

* * *

It had been a long journey through the Underport. Long, but rather uneventful. There was nothing down there, absolutely nothing.

Suddenly, the sound of combat came to Jak's sensitive ears and he rushed forward. He ran around a corner and saw Sig firing at unseen enemies.

Now, Jak should have known better then to surprise a highly-strung warrior, but still… "Hey, big guy…" Jak said stupidly. The large elf spun around at the noise and fired at Jak's head. The young elf was forced to duck to avoid getting his head shot off.

"Get your skinny ass over here and start shooting!" Sig ordered when he saw that it was Jak that he almost killed. Jak pulled out the Blaster and walked over to the elf, looking around for whatever he was shooting at. But they appeared to be gone. "Man, was I set up! Krew sent me down her to open these giant stone doors with that Ruby Key you found." Sig glared at Jak, like the whole situation was his fault for finding the Key in the first place. "And when I did, Metal-Heads came streaming in from some passage outside the City. It's like they were waiting for me… There's one!" Sig fired at an incoming Metal-Head Grunt, and it died instantly.

"Krew betrayed us all." Jak hissed.

"When I get my hands on him…" Sig growled.

"Krew's dead."

"Yeah? Well, he's lucky! Cause he would _not_ want me to catch him alive!"

"The Metal-Heads must've promised Krew plenty for him to betray the whole City like this." Daxter pointed out.

"I say we get the hell out of here." Jak said. Everyone agreed.

"Come on, move it before more come back!" Sig said, moving forward, Peacemaker at the ready. Jak put the gun away and materialized a broadsword and he slowly followed Sig into the next hallway.

They only made it a few steps when the wall behind them bulged as something extremely strong hit it. Sig and Jak spun around, weapons ready. Something impacted the wall again.

"What's that?" Jak asked. He knew of no natural creature that could bust down a solid stonewall.

"We're about to find out." Sig said. He was right. The wall crumbled as the thing impacted the wall again. A huge Metal-Head reared from the dust. Its mandibles open wide in a roar and its many-legged body trailed behind it. Its entire body was covered in thick armor. "Metal-Pede!" Sig yelled. "Attacking this one will only make it mad! Run!" Sig turned and ran down the hall.

Jak only hesitated for a second before he turned and ran after Sig, the Metal-Pede right behind. Jak swiftly caught up with Sig. Sig was carrying heavy armor and weapons, Jak wasn't carrying any heavy equipment and he had superhuman speed. He could've easily passed Sig and left him behind. But he couldn't leave Sig behind to deal with that monster on his own. A hole appeared in the ground before them.

"The hole!" Jak yelled. Jak ran up and jumped in, followed closely by Sig.

They hit the ground below and they looked up. The Metal-Pede tried to get through the hole, but it was hopelessly small. It roared down at them, and then moved on somewhere else.

"Looks like we lost 'em." Sig said. "The hole, cherry? Good thinkin'!"

"Let's just get moving." Jak said. "We can congratulate each other later."

"Right you are, Chili pepper."

They moved on down the new hallway, taking out random Metal-Head creatures as they came to them.

Suddenly, a wall to the left bulged. "Oh oh, here comes that bad boy again. Run!" Sig yelled as the monster busted through the wall. This time, Jak did not hesitate at all. Instead, he followed Sig instantly.

Soon, they came to a bridge. Jak reached it first, but he stopped for Sig to cross first. Sig crossed it, but the Metal-Pede was awfully close. Jak turned and ran across the bridge. However, it wasn't a very strong bridge. As soon as the Metal-Pede stepped on it, it crumbled under Jak's feet. Surprised, Jak didn't have time to jump to the edge. Only his forward momentum carried him forward, and it would not be enough. Then, something grabbed his hand. It was Sig. Jak hit the side of the bottomless pit, but Sig held on to him to stop him from falling into the darkness below.

Sig pulled Jak up and back onto solid ground. As soon as he was safely up on the platform, Jak gasped. "Sig, you saved my life!"

"Think nothin' of it, Cherry. You would've done the same for me, admit it." Sig said.

"Okay, I admit it."

"Now, let's get the hell out of here."

Jak looked over the edge of the bottomless pit, into the inky blackness that he almost fell into. "Agreed."

They walked a bit further then they came to a new bridge and Jak hurried across. He looked ahead and saw the elevator that would lead back to Haven City. "Come on!" Jak called back to Sig. "We're almost to the elevator!"

Sig came to the bridge and walked halfway across. "Looks like we finally lost that Metal-Pede. Piece of cake, huh? Now you boys are REAL Wastelanders! I say we take this fight to the Metal-Head Leader himself! What a trophy he'll make!" Jak grinned at the thought. "We just need to find a way to juice up Mar's old gun then BOOM baby! We storm the nest, guns blazin'! Hell, we'll take 'em all on together! You and me, side by side! Nothing will stop us, cause we're…"

But Jak never found out exactly what they were. The ceiling above crumbled and the Metal-Pede fell through the roof and right on Sig. The bridge collapsed, sending both into the dark abyss below. "Sig!" Jak yelled, falling down on his hands and knees to gaze into the darkness, but even his eyes couldn't pierce the black. Jak looked away, closing his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth to stop the tears that were threatening to come.

"So… ah… do we have a Plan B?" Daxter asked.

"No." Jak said, standing up. "We're gonna do exactly what Sig told us."

"What?" Daxter demanded.

"That's right. The Metal-Head Leader has haunted my dreams for years. We are going to storm the Nest and kill him."

"Uh… and how are we supposed to do that?" Daxter asked. "This isn't like it's a normal Metal-Head! This is the freakin' Metal-Head Leader we're talking about!"

"First things first," Jak said. "We need the Precursor Stone to power up Mar's old gun."

"Great plan." Daxter said. "But you're forgetting one small detail. _Praxis_ has the Precursor Stone!"

"Then we'll have to get it back." Jak said. With that, he turned and stormed to the elevator, allowing it to take him to the City above.


	41. The Metal-Head Leader

(2 days left. Oct 10, 2269)

As soon as Jak walked out into the City with Daxter on his shoulder the TalkBox activated once more.

Vin's shaky voice came over the speakers. "Kor… Construction site…" The Box shut off, with Vin's last words ringing in the duo's ears.

"Construction site?" Jak asked. "Where's that?"

"It's not too far from here." Daxter said. Jak stole a zoomer and followed Daxter's instructions to the Construction site.

* * *

Jak walked into the large construction site. The first and only thing he was Praxis, accompanied by only four guards.

Jak grinned. "Praxis will die today!"

"Where's Kor?" Daxter asked.

"Who cares?"

With a roar, Jak ran down the ramp to ground level. Praxis heard this and turned. "Eleven?" He drew his blade. Jak materialized a blade of his own.

He rushed at Praxis, sword raised and ready to fight, when…

A figure dropped out of the sky and landed in front of Jak, who slid to a halt. He lowered the weapon in surprise, as did Praxis. It was Kor.

"Kor?" Jak demanded. "What's going on?"

Kor's old face looked over at Jak and a wicked grin spread across his face. "I'm sure you know, Jak. Deep down in your darkest nightmares!" Suddenly, Kor's face changed. It only happened for a second, but Jak did not miss it. His teeth grew into layered, razor-sharp teeth and his eyes turned the strangest shade of yellow. Jak's insides ran cold; he had seen that face before… in his nightmares… a long time ago. The shadowy man with sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes. That man had turned into… For the first time in his life, Jak felt pure terror overwhelm his system. "We've met before, remember?" Kor turned to look at Praxis. "Everything's going exactly as planned!"

Kor moved away from the group, laughing manically. He tossed aside his cane, he didn't appear to need it. Suddenly, huge dragonfly-like wings sprouted from Kor's back. He began to expand, a hundred times his original size. His skin tore and ripped as the being became too large for it. The monster uncurled itself. Terror filled the very being of Jak's soul. Pain blossomed in his stomach as the memory of this reoccurring nightmare hit him. "AUGH!" Jak groaned, grabbing his stomach.

Still, the monster grew. Soon, it had the familiar maw, long claws, and the dreaded spike-tipped tail. "It's the Metal-Head Leader!" Daxter yelled. "Kor's the Metal-Head Leader!" Jak glared up at the deadly monster, hundreds of times his size.

"Now you see!" Metal-Kor hissed in a loud and powerful voice. "Without the Shield wall disrupting my powers inside the City, I am my full potential now!" He glared down at Praxis, who looked miserably small next to the enormous Leader. "So for the last time… GIVE ME THE PRECURSOR STONE!"

Praxis raised his sword in defiance. "If this City must die, then we all die!" Praxis charged the Metal-Head Leader, the four guards raised their weapons.

The Leader wasn't all that concerned. He quickly powered up Dark Eco around his skull-gem. He released the energy at Praxis. The four guards dissolved instantly and Praxis went flying fifty feet through the air into a large stake of fifty-gallon drums of Eco. Twenty tons of the stuff rained down on Praxis, burying him completely.

Jak watched the Metal-Head Leader take to the air. "I'll find that Stone if I have to crush this City one brick at a time!" Metal-Kor threatened before he took off into the distance.

Jak looked at the pile that Praxis was under. He wasn't sure what made him do it, perhaps he just wanted to see Praxis' body, but he ran over and began to shift some of the drums aside, searching for the Baron.

He finally uncovered Praxis' body. He coughed, Praxis was alive. "Wait." Praxis gasped, he must've been very badly hurt. "Don't kill me yet. You are the supreme weapon, Eleven, and I made you. You were supposed to kill the Metal-Heads, that is your purpose. Still… any leader worth his salt always has his back-up plan." The Baron pulled out a remote control and pressed a button. Jak looked around. Another Piercer Bomb rose out of the ground, the Precursor Stone attached to the top. "Protect this City, Jak, destroy the Metal-Head Leader." Jak realized that this was the first time Praxis had ever called him by his real name. "Remember, Jak, the first rule in making a bomb, is to always… make two…"

With those final words, Praxis, the evil Baron of Haven City and Jak's mortal enemy, died.

Jak looked at the dead body for several seconds. Praxis was dead and Erol was dead, so what else was there to live for? He looked at the bomb with the Precursor Stone, his Precursor Stone. That was something to live for. Jak walked over. "Daxter, can you get the Stone?"

"Sure, I'm going in." Daxter jumped up onto the bomb, and he slipped in a small opening in the side of the bomb. "Man, what a mess of junk in here. All jumbled coils and switches…"

"Be careful, Daxter!" Jak called. "One wrong move and you'll destroy us all!"

"Jeez, no pressure." Daxter grumbled, and then he growled loudly. "Should I unhook the blue wire? There's a ton of blue wires in here!" A pause. "Wait a minute! Are Ottsels color-blind?"

Jak blinked. "Daxter!"

"Hold on, let me break a few more things and see if anything pops loose…" Daxter said. There was a tense pause. Suddenly… "BOOM!" Jak jumped, despite himself. Then he looked up and saw Daxter holding the Precursor Stone. "Haha! Got ya!" Daxter laughed.

"Daxter!" Jak began angrily.

"Like taking candy from a baby!" Daxter said proudly. "Here you go." He tossed the Precursor Stone to Jak, who caught it.

"Finally, the Stone is back in the hands of its owner." Jak said. He put the stone in his pocket. Jak looked one last time at Praxis' dead body while Daxter jumped onto his shoulder.

"Do you really think I could forgive you for what you did?" Jak asked, Of course, there was no answer. "You tossed me into prison for no reason, you tortured me for two years." Jak paused. "You let the Guards beat us and do with us what they wanted. You tried to kill me more times than I can count. And the whole time… the whole fucking time you took away my humanity by calling me 'Number Eleven'!" Jak growled. "You killed me, Praxis, you killed me! And, for that, I hope you rot in hell, you bastard! You'll never be forgiven… not by me!"

Jak turned and ran out of the Construction site without a backwards glance.


	42. Eco Poisoning

Jak walked out of the Construction site and stole a zoomer before a group of Metal-Heads could impale him. "Do you thing Keira's got the Rift Rider set?" Daxter asked.

"Most likely." Jak said. "But we're still missing the Ring. The Rider without the Rift Ring is useless."

"Right."

Jak headed off towards the Stadium.

* * *

Jak pulled up to the Stadium, which was strangely empty, and tried to ignore the pains in his body, which had become constant. Keira had the Rift Rider moved outside. "The Rider is finished." She said, looking at something past Jak. "But, Daddy thinks the Rift Ring might be in the Metal-Head Nest. If he's right, how are we going to get it there?"

Jak thought for several seconds. "Leave that to me." He got out the TalkBox and dialed a number. "Ashelin?"

"Yes?" Ashelin answered.

"I need a favor."

"What is it?"

"I need a transport, one with a brave driver."

"Why?"

"I need something moved to the Metal-Head Nest."

"The Metal-Head Nest?" Ashelin demanded. "Are you insane?"

"Maybe." Jak said. "But it needs to be done."

"Well… I guess the majority of the Metal-Head army is attacking the City right now." Ashelin paused. "Storming the Nest… it might be possible."

"Wait!" Keira said suddenly. "Storming the Nest? No way, Jak! I won't let you do it! It's impossible!"

Jak looked over at Keira. "Keira… we've discussed this several times." He turned back to the TalkBox. "So, will you send over a transport to the Stadium?"

"Sure, just wait a bit." Ashelin hung up.

Jak sighed, then turned to face Keira again. "Is there nothing I can say or do to you that will make you give this up?"

"Nothing." Keira asked.

"You haven't forgotten what I did to you." Jak said simply. "That was… unforgivable."

"You really hurt me, you know." Keira said softly. "But I still feel the same way about you. Love is blind, I guess."

"Love shouldn't be blind." Jak said. "Keira, please, I'm asking you for the last time… don't do this to yourself!"

Keira watched Jak. "I can't leave you, Jak. I did that once… never again. I can't leave you when you need me most. You shouldn't die alone… no body should die alone."

The trio sat in silence for several minutes before a transport pulled up. Ashelin jumped out. "I've got your transport."

"Now…" Jak paused, looking from the rider to the transport. "How do we move that into the transport?"

Suddenly, old Samos and young Samos appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. "Leave that to us." Jak moved forward to help the Sages, but old Samos stopped him. "No, you shouldn't."

"But, why?" Jak asked. Samos simply shook his head, signaling that he was not going to answer Jak's question. Jak growled loudly, and then stood back to watch.

The Sages used their Green Eco powers to lift the Rider and move it into the cargo hold of the transport.

The transport was ready to go, but one man was not.

A terrible, stabbing pain, one that was worse than any that Jak had felt before, tore through his body. He let out a cry of pain and was forced to his knees.

"Jak!" Keira cried, running over to him.

Familiar nausea rose within Jak. He vomited, but this time it was different. It burned horribly as it came out.

"Oh my God!" Keira screamed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Daxter yelled.

Jak didn't want to look, but he had to. He opened his eyes and gasped. The vomit… it was made entirely out of Dark Eco! Jak began trembling. "No! No! Oh God, no!" Jak cried out as another wave of pain wracked his tortured body.

"Jak! Oh my God!" Keira cried. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Jak, the man that she loved, had just vomited what looked like pure Dark Eco. She ran forward and helped Jak off the ground. "What's going on? Jak, what's happening to you?" She demanded.

"Eco…" Jak gasped. "Eco… poisoning. Oh, God, no!" He cried as he vomited again, more Dark Eco.

"Eco poisoning? But… that's how the Oracle said you would die!" Daxter yelled.

"The Oracle…" Jak gasped. He yelled in pain as what seemed to be wave after wave of pain washed over him. "I need to see… the Oracle."

"Don't worry, Jak." Keira said soothingly, although tears were running down her face to see the one she loved in such terrible pain. "I'll take you to the Oracle."

She helped a writhing Jak into a near-by two-seater. (It wasn't hers, but she was more than willing to do anything to save Jak.) Daxter followed.

"Hey, what do we do with this?" Ashelin asked, pointing at the transport.

"Go out near the Metal-Head Nest and wait for us." Daxter ordered, taking Jak's place since he was rather indisposed at the moment.

Keira floored the accelerator in her rush to get Jak to the Oracle. Hopefully, he knew what he was doing.

* * *

Keira pulled up to the small hut that held the Oracle. She looked at Jak and her heart nearly broke. He was very pale and he was sweating profusely. His breathing was short and shallow, and he occasionally cried out as a wave of pain washed over him.

"Oh, Jak…" Keira breathed. She reached over and tenderly touched his burning skin.

The elf looked over at her, his eyes strangely glazed over. "Keira…" He gasped. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be sorry." Keira said. "You shouldn't be the one that feels sorry. I'm the one that should be sorry. I've treated you horribly since we reunited."

"Can't this wait 'til later?" Daxter demanded. "The Oracle's just inside…"

"There might not be a 'later'!" Keira cried.

"He's right." Jak said with a sharp intake of breath. "Keira… help me."

Keira got out and walked around the zoomer. She helped Jak get out. He had to lean heavily on her as he simply lacked the strength to stand on his own. She led Jak to the door and they walked in.

And then, Jak let go of Keira, took a few wobbly steps toward the Oracle, and then collapsed on the floor.

It broke the she-elf's heart to see Jak like this. The normally proud warrior, sprawled on the ground because he lacked the strength to stand.

"Oracle!" Jak cried. "Save me! I don't want to die!" The elf spasmed as more pain shot through him. "Please, Oracle, I don't want to die…"

There was silence for several seconds before the Oracle spoke. "I've told you, Dark One, I alone can not save you. Only…"

"A Precursor?" Jak gasped. "There are no Precursors left!"

"There is _still_ hope." The Oracle insisted.

"There is no hope!" Jak despaired. And, for the first time in years, tears, actual real tears, ran down his face. A combination of everything that had happened to him and the prospect of death finally broke down the walls that had long held intact. Pure pain and sorrow was etched on Jak's face and tears continued to flow freely.

"I can not cure you." The Oracle said. "But I can give you a chance." Jak looked up. "Listen carefully, for your life depends on it. The answer to all you questions and salvation lies in wait at the Metal-Head Nest. That is where you must go."

Keira couldn't stand it any longer. "How?" She demanded. "He can barely stand!"

"Peace, young one." The Oracle said soothingly. "Now, it is within my power to stop the tormenting symptoms of Eco Poisoning from preventing you in completing your quest. Pay attention, this is not a cure. You will die at exactly the same time as if I didn't perform this."

"Do you think I want to spend my last hours like this?" Jak asked. "Do it, I understand."

The Oracle didn't reply for several minutes. Suddenly, it did speak. "It is done. Rise, Great Warrior!" Jak slowly got up and was able to remain standing. "But, beware, the date you dread is tomorrow. If you are to save yourself, and your race, you must do it before then." The Oracle's presence died.

Keira walked up to Jak. "Jak, are you alright?"

Jak looked at her, his face held no trace of the tears that had ran down it only minutes ago. Now, his face was unemotional. "I feel fine."

"Jak…" Keira paused, as though embarrassed. "Stay with me tonight… please?"

Jak stared at her. "Keira… we can't…"

"I know." Keira said hurriedly. "I just want to spend some time with you… before…"

Jak nodded. "I understand." A pause. "Okay, it's the least I can give you."

* * *

Jak and Keira walked into Carla's house quietly, however, it wasn't quietly enough.

"Keira? Is that you?" Carla walked around the corner. She spotted Jak. "Oh…"

"Carla… we sort of want to be alone." Keira said.

"Oh… I understand. I'll go to a friend's house." She left, just like that.

"That was easy." Jak commented. Daxter had been far harder to get rid of. Only when Jak said he could go to the Hip Hog did Daxter leave.

Jak sat on the couch and Keira joined him, sitting right next to him. She embraced him, and Jak made no move to push her off. "Jak?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared." Keira said. "You tried to tell me, put I wouldn't listen." Tears started to form. "What id you die tomorrow?"

"Keira… if I die tomorrow, just imagine that I've gone on to a better place." Jak said. "My life has been nothing but pain since I arrived her almost three years ago."

"Jak? What happened to you… in prison?" Jak didn't answer. "I know that terrible things must've happened to you."

"Have you talked to Daxter?" Jak asked.

"A little."

"What's there to talk about?" Jak asked. "I got thrown into prison and tortured."

"Daxter told me something that worried me." Keira admitted. "Your first kill… tell me what happened."

The bottom of Jak's stomach dropped out. "Nothing." He lied. "He antagonized me, pushed me over the edge, and I killed him… end of story."

"I don't believe that." Keira said. "You won't kill anyone lightly."

"I didn't kill him lightly!" Jak roared. "Keira, I choked him to death! I dug my fingernails into his throat until I choked the life out of him! And then I drank the blood from my hands! I don't call that lightly!"

Keira stared. "What happened to you? What could cause you to do something like that?"

"Nothing." Jak looked away.

"Jak, I know you too well for you to lie to me." Keira said. "You're hiding something. Tell me, please. You can always tell me anything."

Jak buried his face in his hands. "It was… shortly after my torture began. I was weak and starving. A captain came to get us to take us to out daily torture. I could tell he was drunk…" Jak couldn't believe he was telling Keira this. He had kept this secret for so long, and it seemed to be spilling out of his mouth. "I was the first one chosen. But… instead of going to get tortured, he led me off somewhere else…"

"Oh my God!" Keira gasped.

"That's my secret!" Jak yelled. "That's right. The great Jak, beaten and weak in prison, almost got raped a drunk guard in a dirty prison hallway!"

"No!" Keira gasped.

"But I killed him before he could get close to what he wanted. I killed him, Keira!" Jak paused. "Oh God, I can't believe I just told you that!"

"Maybe you told me because you needed to tell someone." She leaned up to Jak and began to plant light kisses on his jaw line.

Jak looked down at the beautiful she-elf. "You'll still accept me? Even now?"

"Of course." Keira said. "I love you, Jak, I really do."

"Keira?" Jak started.

"Yes?" Keira asked, expectantly.

"I—well…" Jak stuttered over himself. "I…" Jak stopped and sighed, and then he said something that was inaudible.

"What?" Keira asked.

"I… well…" Jak sighed. It was now or never. Of course, he had said it before, but never to her. It was easier to say it when she wasn't listening. "I love you too, Keira."

Keira gasped. "Oh Jak! Really?" Jak blushed and nodded. "Oh Jak!" Keira leaned up to kiss him again, this time on the lips. Jak returned the kiss. He couldn't deny his passion anymore.

The kiss lasted almost a full minute. He wrapped his arms around her and she draped her arms around his neck. Only when their lungs screamed for air did the couple part. They gazed into each other's eyes, his blue ones and her green ones.

"You won't tell anyone what I've told you tonight… about what happened to me in prison?" Jak asked.

"Never." Keira promised.

Jak looked away from her. "I'm sorry."

Keira looked confused. "Why?"

"I never realized exactly how I felt for you." He said sadly. "If I had embraced my love for you earlier… we could have had years."

"Don't be sorry, don't ever regret anything." Keira said tenderly. "You can't blame yourself for any of this. You were forced into a situation that you couldn't control."

"There are so many things I wish I could have done… with you." Jak admitted, Keira blushed. "But that's impossible now."

"Jak…" Keira began, embarrassed.

But Jak cut her off. "I've never been so scared in my life." He admitted, as if being scared was a shameful thing.

"It's alright to be scared." Keira assured him. "Not many people have gone through what you've had to go through. How many people have known the exact moment of their death? How many people know that they are going to die a painful death by Eco Poisoning? How many other people have been tortured with Dark Eco?"

"None. None. And fourteen others." Jak answered.

"Fourteen?" Keira asked, surprised.

"All dead." Jak corrected. "Most died of Eco Poisoning, but the rest was killed by us." Jak paused. "Can we not talk about this? I lost friends that way."

"Fine." Keira said.

Jak grinned wickedly. "Can we kiss again?"

Keira smiled. "Whatever you want."


	43. Storming the Nest

(October 11, 2269)

Keira had long since fallen asleep against Jak's shoulder, but he could not sleep. His mind was a clock, counting down how long he had to live. It was near morning and he was only thinking about the Metal-Head Nest. 'The answers to you questions and salvation lies in wait in the Metal-Head Nest' Did that mean that his cure was there too?

Suddenly, he felt movement at his side. He looked down and saw that Keira was awake.

"Jak? You're still here?" She asked.

"Your presence is soothing." Jak said. "Why would I leave?"

"Oh… I thought you might have gone to the Metal-Head Nest or something." Keira said.

Jak kissed her. "Yes, but not yet. I'll have to go soon."

There was a slight pause. "Jak? I want to go with you… to the Metal-Head Nest."

Jak stared at her. "No!" He said suddenly. "I can't let you put yourself in danger."

"There's no other way for me to get to the Nest." Keira pointed out. "Besides, I feel safest when I'm with you."

"Keira… you've never been in a fight. Things get crazy… I lose track of things." Jak said. "There's a small likelihood that you'll stay safe. And Metal-Heads are a whole different story! No, I won't put you into that situation!"

"Jak!" Keira said with a very determined face. "I would follow you into hell. Remember when I said that no one should die alone, and you shouldn't either, I mean it. I really do."

Jak shook his head. "No. No! I won't allow it!"

"Please, Jak." Keira said. "I promise to follow every order you give me."

Jak looked away, then down at Keira, and then away again. "Okay." Jak said finally. "But you are to stay close to me and if I tell you to hide, you'd better disappear instantly."

"Fine."

"First to go pick up Daxter." Jak said.

* * *

As I had mentioned before, Daxter spent the night at the owner-less Hip Hog bar. As soon as Daxter saw Jak and Keira within two feet of each other, he began to get ideas.

"So… you two spent the whole night… together… alone?" Daxter winked at Jak boyishly.

"Nothing happened." Jak hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yeah right. I know you two." Daxter said.

Then it was a short drive over to the air train. Everyone got out, including Keira. "Wait… wait, wait, wait, wait! Is Keira coming too?"

"Yes." Jak answered shortly.

"Wait! We're going to the Metal-Head Nest! And you're dragging Keira along?"

"I'm not dragging her along! Just the opposite. I told her not to come with me." Jak said.

"But it's the only way for me to get to the Ring to go home. I want to go back to Sandover too, you know. Don't you guys."

"Hell yeah!" Daxter said.

Jak looked off into the distance and didn't answer. Keira noticed this. "Jak?"

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to live. It's no use taking back a dead body." Jak said. "Besides… I'm not so sure I want to go back anymore, now that I think about it."

Daxter and Keira stared at Jak, amazed. "What? You don't want to go back?" Daxter asked.

"Why?" Keira asked.

"I don't know." Jak sighed. "It's just that… even if I do get better. Well… this place is really familiar."

"Sandover is familiar too, buddy." Daxter said. "We grew up there, remember?"

"Ever since I came here… or at least after I broke out of prison, I've felt like I… well… belong here." Jak said. "Everything here is so familiar, like a place from a forgotten dream. Besides, it's not as if I'd belong at Sandover anymore, seeing how much I've changed."

"Jak? You're not going home with us?" Keira asked. Jak didn't answer, he couldn't.

"Let's just go." He said. They jumped into the back of the transport.

The driver looked around. "Where to?"

"The Metal-Head Nest." Jak said.

"Wh—wh—what?" The driver asked. "Are you crazy? The Metal-Head Nest?"

"Listen…" Keira said. "We'll pay you." She said, taking out some Haven currency.

The driver glanced nervously at Jak. It seemed that he recognized who he was. He especially saw the evil look in Jak's eyes. "No… no pay necessary." The driver said. "I'll take you." The transport door closed up and they began the long journey to the Metal-Head Nest.

* * *

The man landed a short while later. "I'm not going any closer." He said.

"Fair enough." Keira said. The door opened and a Grunt instantly tried to get into the back.

Keira screamed and Jak pulled out the blaster, killing the monster.

"That's it! I'm out of here!" The driver said. He began to take off. Jak grabbed Keira and jumped out of the transport before it took off. It flew as fast as it could back towards Haven City.

"Well, no going back now." Jak said, watching the transport take off. He turned and studied the landscape. Everything was dead and dark. The few plants that managed to survive seemed to be infected with Dark Eco. It was not uncommon to have several Dark Eco pools in a single area. The ground was covered with the old remains of a battle. There were old tanks that had turned over and long since rusted. But, most horribly of all, the Elvin skeletons that lay scattered across the ground. Some were horribly mutated indicating a death by Dark Eco. The Metal-Head Nest, an impenetrable fortress of spikes rose in the near distance.

"Nice place for a vacation isn't it?" Daxter asked jokingly.

"Daxter, please shut up, this is deathly serious!" Jak spat. Jak glanced down at the blaster in his hands. He sighed and pushed the weapon into Keira's hands.

The she-elf held the weapon uncertainly. "What about you?" She asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about me." Jak said. "I'm never unarmed." To prove his point, Jak swiftly materialized a Dark Eco blade in his grip. "Now, first things first, we've got to find Mar's Gun or we'll never get inside."

The trio glanced around for a second, before Daxter spoke. "Oh my God! It's huge!"

"What?" Both Jak and Keira looked around. Daxter pointed off into the distance.

He was right, it was huge. It towered over the surrounding landscape. The five hundred year old weapon blended in with the countryside almost perfectly, making it near invisible. "Let's go." Jak said, walking off slowly with Keira following two steps behind.

* * *

They made it to the base of Mar's Gun with little incident, other than the fact that Jak carved a path of destruction towards the gun. It seemed most types of Metal-Heads lacked a decent Dark Eco tolerance, while others were cut to ribbons on Jak's blade.

The group stepped on to the elevator that moved them up to the control panel. Jak's TalkBox activated, it was Ashelin. "There isn't much time now. With the shield wall down, it's just a matter of time before the Metal-Heads overwhelm us. My advice? You and you friends should go back through the rift back to your own time and get away from this horrible place."

"I see you're point." Daxter said. "Let's go, Jak… Keira?"

Jak took out the Precursor Stone and put it in a slot that was the same size and shape as the small glowing stone. It fit perfectly. "This place is worth fighting for." Jak hissed.

"We'll hold out as long as we can. Good luck, Jak." Ashelin hung up.

"So… what next?" Keira asked.

The weapon began to charge up its shot. "Precursor Stone…" Jak said, tapping said stone. "Gun… Nest!" Jak grinned wickedly.

"Light 'er up, padre!" Daxter exclaimed.

Jak laughed manically. "Hahaha! Eat this!" Suddenly, the most powerful weapon in the world fired. The landscape lit up as a massive beam shot at the Metal-Head Nest. The result was a resounding explosion as the beam impacted, destroying a section of the wall, opening a path into the Metal-Head Nest.

"That outta wake them up." Daxter said.

"Let's go take care of business." Jak continued to grin wickedly.

"You mean—go in there?" Daxter asked, hiding behind Jak's back. "Um… I'm right behind you."

"I'm right here with you." Keira said.

"Then let's go." Jak said, taking the elevator back down with Keira.

* * *

The next stretch of path was defiantly the toughest yet. Dark Eco surrounded both sides of the narrow path, and an enormous Metal-Head guarded the path. The monster didn't all out attack, but it emitted electricity from its sides.

This stumped the group for quite a while. Jak could've easily made it across the Dark Eco with the Jet Board, but then Keira would have been left behind. He couldn't allow that.

Finally, Daxter was the one who figured it out. Jak didn't like it, and Keira didn't like it, but Jak had to admit it was the only way.

Daxter had remembered the time that Jak had survived several minutes in a pool of Dark Eco in Mar's Tomb. Jak pointed out that he had almost died, and Daxter countered that the only reason that Jak almost died was because he almost drowned.

"Besides, if you hold the Precursor Stone, it should keep the Dark Eco at bay." Daxter said.

"Great, that sets you and me, but what about Keira?" Jak asked.

"Carry her." Daxter said instantly.

"Uh… excuse me?" Jak growled.

"What? What's the big deal?" Daxter asked. "You spent a whole night alone with her when you two are obviously head-over-heels in love with each other, but you won't carry her?"

"She didn't spend the night with Dark!" Jak said. "The only way I can cross that much Eco without dying instantly is if I'm in my Dark form."

"Keep your mind and watch your claws." Daxter suggested. "Oh, and try to keep the Dark Eco sparks that radiate from your body under control."

"Okay, okay, I'll do it." Jak said. "Keira… do you trust me?"

Keira remembered the time after the Class One race when she had walked in on the Dark Monster that Jak could become. When he had his mind, he was nothing more than a frightfully powerful and more evil-looking Jak. "Yes, Jak, I trust you." She said.

Jak nodded, then took several steps back from Keira and Daxter. He closed his eyes and let his rage flow through him awakening the Dark Eco that lay dormant inside his bloodstream. But he kept his mind in control. Jak cried out as the pain of the demonic transformation overwhelmed him.

Keira watched, horrified. It was the first time that she had witnessed her beloved's transformation. She never thought it would be a painful ordeal. But, as she watched, she couldn't thing it would be anything but painful. Horns tore out of his forehead, claws grew from his fingernails, fangs grew. His skin paled until it was a deathly gray color and his hair turned gray also. His blue eyes turned into pitch black eyes. Random Dark Eco sparks ran over his skin.

"Jak? I that you?" Daxter asked cautiously.

The Dark Monster nodded.

"Are you ready to go?" Daxter asked.

The Demon nodded again.

"Good." Daxter said. "Don't worry, Keira, that's Jak inside that shell."

"I know." Keira said. She could see Jak looking out of those strange eyes. The random Dark Eco sparks that spread across Dark Jak's skin stopped. He walked slowly towards Keira in an attempt to prove that he was still himself.

When he reached Keira, he picked her up bridal-style, while being extremely careful with his claws. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Daxter took his usual spot on Jak's shoulder. Jak moved toward the Dark Eco and stepped in. Keira felt Jak's body tense as if he was resisting the urge to cry out in pain. He waded in to his knees and slowly waded across. Keira looked into Dark Jak's eyes, the same black eyes that so many feared. But she did not see anger or rage… she only saw pain and a deep resounding sadness.

"Oh Jak…" Keira sighed.

"Oh pul-ease!" Daxter groaned.

Dark Jak looked down at her with tormented eyes. The look he gave her said: 'It hurts, but I won't drop you… ever.'

"I know." Keira answered.

Finally they reached the other side and Jak gently set Keira down. He took out the Precursor Stone and held on to it for several seconds.

"What is he doing?" Keira asked.

"Flushing his system of extra Dark Eco." Daxter said. "He may have Eco Poisoning already, but more Dark Eco would only kill him faster."

"We don't want that!" Keira said.

Jak slowly changed back to his normal form. He pocketed the Precursor Stone. "Let's go."

"Why?" Daxter asked. "Don't you need to rest?"

"I don't have much more time." Jak said. "This needs to be finished right now."


	44. The Most Effective Form of Combat

The small ground moved into the Metal-Head Nest. Thankfully, since the majority of the Metal-Head army was attacking Haven City, the Nest was empty. Jak turned to Keira. "This is where I leave you." He said. "Go hide somewhere."

"But…" Keira began.

"Keira, what did you promise to do for me before we came?" Jak reminded her. The she-elf bowed her head in submission.

"Well, I won't let you go in there without every ounce of fire power you've got." Keira said as she gave Jak back the Morph-Gun.

He accepted the gun from Keira. "Keira… I love you and…"

"Aww!" Daxter said.

"Daxter, shut up!" Jak hissed. "You're not making this any easier!" He sighed, and then turned back to Keira. "Good-bye, Keira." He said tenderly.

Keira now had tears running down her face. "Good-bye, Jak. I'll always love you."

The couple embraced each other, overcome with emotion. They shared a short, but passionate kiss. Then Jak pulled away, turned around, and began to head towards his fate.

Keira watched him go, overcome by a feeling of uselessness, and she let more tears run down her face.

* * *

Jak walked over toward the Leader's chamber, which was a large, sunken-in room. The huge Leader himself sat in the middle of the room, the huge Rift Ring, glowing with a Dark light floated in the air behind him. The Leader looked up as Jak neared, and he bared his fangs in a hideous smile.

"Finally…" Metal-Kor hissed. "You've decided to join us." The Leader uncurled its tail from around something. It was the Kid, encased in a force field and definitely knocked out cold. "And you've brought the Precursor Stone! Good… the boy will now play his final part in this story!"

Jak glared at Kor. "You've already used him to open up the Tomb! What more do you want from him?"

"To open the Stone and die!" The Leader hissed. "You don't see it, do you? The result of a pathetic attempt to erase your memory."

Jak blinked in amazement. "Erase my memory? Why would someone do that?" Jak demanded.

"Why don't you ask your dear, God-like creators?" Kor laughed.

Jak shook his head. "What is the child's part in this? Your quarrel should be with me."

"This child… is such a part of this…" Kor hissed. "And he's such a part of you. Don't you recognize him?" Jak glared at the boy. "The boy is _you_ , Jak!" Jak's eyes widened and Daxter gasped. "And this place… this is where you were born… in the future!"

"But…" Jak tried to wrap his mind around the information he had just received. The boy… all along… was him? "How?"

"Long ago, a soothsayer made a prophecy that said you would be the one to destroy me. So you were hidden in the past and had your memories erased in the hope that you would grow and gain the skills needed to face me this very day!" The Metal-Head Leader grinned. "But Onin was wrong! Now that you've been altered with Dark Eco the Stone will never open for you, for it can only be opened by one with a pure heart… which you lack." The Leader glared down at the boy, young Jak. "Your younger self, however, still has the pure gift. He alone can awaken the Stone, and unlock the Precursor entity which sleeps inside!"

Jak looked down at the Stone in his hands. "This stone is a Precursor?"

"The last Precursor egg!" Kor corrected himself. "The last of an ancient race! Mar discovered it long ago and he hid it from me. Mar was a clever opponent! He covered his tracks well through time, hiding this last egg from me! He built the City and shield sorely for the purpose of protecting it." Kor sight. "It has been a long siege. But today… I will finally feed on the last Precursor life-force!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Jak hissed.

"Ah, yes. You have a rather large stake riding on this battle." Kor laughed. "Imagine it! You succeed in destroying me, you get your younger self to open the Stone, release the Precursor, and you'll be healed of your deadly disease. But, I've got just as big a stake as you. And don't think I'll go easy on you just because your death is near. Death has its arms wrapped around you. You reek of death! But I will not hold back, and neither should you, Son of Mar!"

"What did you call me?" Jak demanded.

"Son of Mar." Kor repeated. "Because that it what you are. You are the last living descendant of my greatest enemy, Mar… the only remaining member of a long and noble bloodline."

"Noble?" Jak asked.

"But, of course you won't remember. Allow me to remind you of your full title." Kor paused dramatically. "Your full name is Jak Mar, the one true heir and Prince of Haven City!"

"Excuse me…" Daxter said. "Did you just say 'Prince'?"

"Oh my God!" Jak couldn't think of what else to say. "Are you saying I'm royalty?"

"As royal as your ancestors." Kor said. "A great line of Kings, Warriors, and Heroes! What else would you be?" Kor paused. "I've waited a long time for this. To fight someone who could match the skill that Mar displayed… or even your father."

Jak stared at the Leader. "My… father?"

"Yes… a great Warrior he was, too." Kor said.

"Who was he?" Jak asked, curiosity overwhelming him. "You knew him?"

"He fought me once. He lost and was able to crawl away… like a coward." Kor grinned when he saw Jak frown; he knew he had pushed a button. "Where he is now… I can't say. Though the wound I gave him was fatal."

"My father was not a coward!" Jak roared.

"How do you know?" Kor asked. "You probably don't even remember his name or what he looked like, let alone what he was like." Kor growled. "Get ready, Jak Mar, to face your destiny."

"Wait!" Daxter said suddenly. "I think you're forgetting one thing, megalomaniac!"

"What?" Kor demanded.

"We've got the Precursor Stone, and you've got zilch!"

"Not for long!" Kor hissed. The same type of Dark Eco blast that killed Praxis powered up around Kor's skull-gem and e launched it into the ground below Jak's feet. The ground disintegrated under him and he fell to the same level as the Leader, buried under fair amount of rocks and boulders. The Metal-Head Leader laughed, as he believed that the last living descendant of his greatest enemy was finally dead. He got up to check the rubble and find the Precursor Stone. Suddenly, a pale hand, tipped with long claws popped out from under the rocks. Then the rest of the body appeared. It was Dark Jak. His pitch black eyes narrowed angrily and he growled. "Never give up, do you?" Kor asked the Dark Monster, who didn't answer. "It might be better for you to die. Believe me, I've looked into the future. The War to end all Wars is coming, and I doubt that you want to be a part of it." Dark Jak growled, and started to begin to change back to normal. "Die!" Kor roared.

The Leader rushed at Jak, who was trapped in-between his transformation and pretty much helpless. The powerful monster caught Jak with the flat side of his claws and sent the elf flying, hard, into a wall. He cried out as he impacted, a few ribs shattering on impact, and he hit the ground. Jak held his chest, but the ribs were already healing and snapping back into place. Jak stood back up. "Really cowardly of you." Jak growled. "Attacking when I'm in the middle of a transformation."

"I already told you, I'm not going to go easy on you." Kor said. "Now fight! Fight for your life!"

Jak's eyes narrowed. "Fine." He materialized a broadsword and dropped the Morph-Gun. He raised the weapon. "Come and get me!"

Kor leapt at Jak, his claws raised. Jak raised his own weapon to block the claws. Then, after Kor raised his claws to strike again, he ducked under his guard and slashed at the Metal-Head Leader's chest with all his strength. However, the weapon merely glanced off his armor.

Kor reached down and grabbed Jak with his enormous claws. He picked Jak up and held him right next to his face. Kor growled at Jak, his foul breath washed over Jak, and he gagged. "You are the Great Hope? You are pathetic!" Kor spat, his grip tightened on the elf, driving air from his lungs. "I expected better from one of noble birth like yourself!"

The words rang through Jak's memory. They were almost the same exact words the Metal-Head Leader spoke to him in his nightmares.

Panic filled him. Without thinking, he conjured a dagger and stabbed the Leader blindly, catching the monster in its hand. Kor dropped the elf, more from surprise than actual pain. Jak hit the floor and stood, gasping for air.

Kor pulled the little dagger from his hand and crushed it. "A valiant effort." Kor laughed. "But I am a creature of Darkness, Dark Eco Poisoning won't effect me." Suddenly, Jak winched and held his stomach as a wave of pain shot through him. That could only mean one thing. It was time for him to die. Kor laughed. "But Dark Eco Poisoning effects you, and it looks like your time is almost up."

"No!" Jak cried. "I'll kill you before I die!"

"You are weak! You are worthless! You are dead!" Kor hissed.

"No!" Jak materialized another sword, but the Metal-Head Leader merely pulled it out of Jak's grip and tossed it aside. The Metal-Head Leader brandished his tail through the air, and Jak got a horrible sense of foreboding.

"Now you die!" Kor roared. "So ends the line of my greatest enemy… Mar!" The tail flew forward; ready to disembowel the poor elf… just like in his nightmares.

Suddenly, a new voice rang through Jak's mind, one that was also from his dreams. 'Sometimes… the bravest and most effective form of combat is knowing when to dodge…'

Jak opened his eyes, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Dodging?

He looked down. The Morph-Gun lay at his feet. He looked up, the spike-tipped tail was close now. Without thinking exactly what he was doing, Jak let his legs go weak and he collapsed to the ground.

Kor's tail slashed through the air where Jak's stomach had been a nanosecond earlier. "What the...?"

Jak grabbed the gun and switched it to Peacemaker mode. He aimed it at the Metal-Head Leader's ugly mug and fired.

The shot hit the Leader right in the face, blinding him instantly. Kor roared in pain, and covered his useless eyes, which ran heavily with blood. But Jak did not let up. He fired at the Leader's face over and over until he ran out of ammo.

The Metal-Head Leader was badly hurt and blinded, and he had enough. But he would not leave until he had taunted his foe. "You think that by killing me you'll get what you really want?" Kor demanded. "You won't. Your fate is set now. You should have let me kill you; it would have saved you from endless pain. Just wait, in a few months, you'll wish you were dead! And I'll be back to grant your wish!" The Metal-Head Leader spread his dragonfly wings and began to fly in the general direction of the Rift Ring, but he flew too low and hit the rim of the Ring. The Dark Eco the Ring contained began to attack the Leader's already ruined body. He may have been immune to Eco Poisoning, but he was not immune to the destructive effects of the millions of units of Eco that assaulted his body. The Metal-Head Leader's body exploded as the Eco overloaded his system, leaving only the head intact.

The head fell down and hit the ground, and Jak joined this action. "Oh God!" He yelled.

Daxter seemed to realize what was going on. "Keira!" He yelled.

However, the yell was hardly necessary, for Keira had come running as soon as she heard Jak's yell. She dropped down into the room and ran over to Jak. "Oh my God! Please, Jak, not now!"

"There's no time…" Jak gasped as the pain of the Eco Poisoning was quickly returning. He gave her the Precursor Stone. "The boy… have the boy touch the Precursor Stone!" Jak ordered.

"The boy?" Keira looked around, then she saw the unconscious boy. "Oh…" She ran over and shook the small boy violently until he came too. "Touch the stone." She ordered. The boy hesitated.

"Do it, Kid!" Jak ordered. "It's the only way to save us."

"Us?" Keira asked. But the Kid did as he was told and touched the glowing green stone. Suddenly, a bright light shone from the stone, illuminating the whole chamber Keira dropped the stone and backed away, as did the boy. A figure stepped out of the stone.

"What is it?" Keira asked.

"A Precursor." Jak gasped. Everything was going dark.

The Precursor looked down at Jak. "It is finished." The Precursor said. "Our ancient enemy is no more. Take hope, Brave One, the terrible Darkness inside you is now balanced by a glorious light!" There was a pause. Jak moved, then he pushed himself off the ground. Keira rushed forward and helped Jak get to his feet, but he was able to stand on his own.

"Keira? The Dark Eco… it doesn't hurt anymore." Jak and Keira looked at each other. Jak smiled happily. "I'm cured."

Keira almost cried for joy. She embraced Jak and he gladly returned it. He even took it one step further by picking her up and spinning her around.

A feeling of amusement filled the air. It took Jak a second to realized it was the Precursor. He set Keira down and turned to it. "Thank you." Jak said earnestly. "How could I ever thank you enough?"

"There will be a time for that." The Precursor said. "However, you have done good and you deserve a break." Jak felt something tug on his coat to get his attention. Jak looked down. It was his younger self.

"Hey, Kid." Jak said, picking him up.

"The Past meets the Future." The Precursor said. "Now it is time for your destiny to be secured."

"I understand." Jak said, he turned to the she-elf by his side. "Keira, get in contact with your fathers. We need to get the Rift Rider here."

The Precursor nodded. "Do not worry about your future just yet." It said. "Let me assure you that you will be guaranteed safety for some time. We will meet again." And with that, the Precursor disappeared into the Rift Ring.

The trio watched the Precursor go, but Daxter took the TalkBox to take care of it. "Oh, Jak, we're finally going home!"

Jak shook his head. "We are home, Keira. Both of us."

"What?" Keira asked. "How could we be home?"

Jak held the Kid closer to his face. "Can't you see the resemblance?"

Keira looked between Jak and the Kid. Her eyes widened. She saw it now… green hair… blue eyes… the same soul. "But… he looks just like you!" She gasped.

Jak mouthed the words: 'He is me.'

"Oh my God!"

"And that ain't the half of it…" Daxter began, but Jak cut him off.

"That's not all. You are here too… I've seen you."

"What?"

"You have the same memory blank as me. It's so we won't remember growing up here. Haven City is our home, Keira. But… to me… it's slightly more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Jak's the…" Daxter began.

"It's nothing." Jak said. "It's not that important."

Suddenly, the Krimzon transport entered the Nest and landed. Samos, Samos, and mini-Keira hopped out. Keira stared.

"See? I told you." Jak laughed. "Hey, Keira, which one, do you think?" Jak asked. Keira looked at Jak, who was still holding his younger self, who just looked confused.

Keira looked between the two. She alone probably understood the magnitude of Jak's question. He was asking her to choose between the old him, the quiet and innocent boy he once was; and the man, the murderer that he was today. There was really nothing to think about. She walked up to the man and touched his cheek. "This one… without a doubt."

Old Samos walked over to Jak. "It is time. The Rift Rider will be used to send young Jak back to a place where he will grow up, safe from harm."

"Wait a minute." Young Samos said. "It's you… I mean it's me! I have to take him back and watch over him in the past, don't I?" Old Samos nodded. "Ah, grub-roots! Talk about being in the wrong time at the right place."

Jak set the boy that would be him someday on the seat of the Rider. "Hey, Kid, you take care." Jak paused. What piece of advice could he give his younger self? Jak smiled. "Oh, and trust me on this… stay away from ANY Wumpbee Nests on your ninth birthday, okay?"

The Kid nodded. Then he took off the small amulet that he wore around his neck and he gave it to Jak, who accepted it.

"Daddy, I don't even know if the Rider will work." Keira began worriedly. "I might have messed up…"

"Don't worry, Keira, your Rider is absolutely perfect." Old Samos said while Jak helped mini-Keira into the Rider. "This is the very machine we found… or will find later."

"What? I just built this… after seeing the first one, I mean." Keira said. "It's based on what I remember from the first…"

"Honey, the more you think about it, the more it hurts the head." Daxter said.

Samos got in the Rider and it began to move towards the Ring. Little Jak waved back at the group. "I'll take good care of the child." Young Samos assured them. "And don't worry, I'll be back in time for the celebration! Farewell!" The Rider and its passengers disappeared into the Rift.

Jak sighed and shook his head, and then he turned to Samos. "Thanks Samos… without you…"

Samos waved Jak off. "No need, I was only doing my civic duty when I rescued you off the streets." He glanced at Jak in a way that said that the civic duty he preformed was rescuing the crown Prince of Haven City. Samos would have figured it out. "It's funny, though. The boy won't remember any of this…"

"No…" Jak said as the Rift Ring fell into a thousand pieces. "I do remember the light."


	45. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final Chapter, at least of Jak II!

(Later, in the Palace)

Ashelin and Torn sat on the steps at the foot of the Throne. Ashelin was talking on a communicator to one of her captains. "You're transport is ready, milady." The captain said.

"Thank you, Captain." She said, turning off the comm. She glanced at Torn and sighed. "Come on. We'll be late for the party and Daxter's new place."

Torn sighed. "I've got so much work to do. Besides, parties are not really my thing."

"Ten hut!" Ashelin snapped and Torn immediately jumped to attention. "As the new governess of this City, I order the Commander of the New Krimzon Guard to escort me to an official function. Is that understood?"

"Yessir! I mean… yes, ma'am… I mean…"

"We can start rebuilding the City tomorrow. Tonight we get to celebrate with our new friends." Ashelin wrapped her arms around Torn. "Besides, tough guy, I'm dying to see you dance."

Torn laughed. "Not likely."

* * *

(The Hip Hog)

Daxter stood on the bar and proclaimed for the whole bar to hear: "Welcome to the Naughty Ottsel!" Jak shook his head, laughing quietly. He happened to have his arm planted firmly around Keira. Since their relationship was no longer hindered by Jak's 'death', they had announced how they felt about each other. (Very few people were surprised.) Daxter continued bragging. "The hippest, happenist, hoppenist joint in town!" The Ottsel then directed all eyes to the space just above the doorway. "Check out the new décor!" It was the stuffed head of the Metal-Head Leader.

"Ooh… what a big trophy!" Tess said, admiringly.

"As if size matters?" Daxter asked. "You know, I bagged that bad boy myself, baby."

"Hey!" Jak protested.

Onin was sitting nearby and she began signing. Pecker translated for her. "Onin says she doesn't know who has a bigger head, the Metal-Head Leader or you." Jak laughed out loud for what seemed the first time in ages.

Daxter sulked. "Shut up."

Samos stepped up. "We must not forget Vin and all the others who sacrificed their lives to defeat this evil and protect the child."

Jak opened his fist. He was holding the Seal of Mar. "I still can't believe that little boy was me." He pocketed the Seal and laughed sourly. "Better times, huh?"

Keira looked up at her boyfriend. "You miss him, huh? But you know what?" Keira tapped Jak lightly on the nose. "That boy will grow up into a handsome hero." Keira pulled Jak over so they could share a quick kiss, and then…

"Hey!" The couple stopped midway and looked around to see who would dare interrupt them again, even after they started officially 'going out'. It was Daxter, once again. He was yelling at Onin, who appeared to be drinking excessively. "That's enough for you, lady! I'm cutting you off!"

Suddenly, Onin zapped Daxter. "Trust me, she gets really mean when she's drunk." Pecker warned.

Onin made more signs in the air while taking another drink straight from the bottle. "What'd she say this time?" Daxter asked suspiciously.

"Something about rubber tubing and certain parts of your mother." Pecker said. "You don't wanna know."

"Hey!" Daxter said angrily.

Suddenly the door opened and a new people walked in, much to the surprise of several of the bar's occupants.

Jak's mouth hung open. "Sig!" For it was, indeed, Sig. He stepped away from Keira. She let him go, for she could tell that Jak and this man that she only met once long ago were friends. "You're okay!"

"You cherries didn't think some foul-breathed, giant-size lizard was gonna keep me from the biggest party in the City, did ya?" Sig laughed.

"I knew you were too tough for 'em, Big Guy!" Daxter said.

* * *

Sometime later, Samos, Jak, Daxter, Sig, and Pecker moved outside to watch the fireworks that were now exploding colorfully over the Port.

"You did it, my boy!" Samos said proudly. "You've saved the world again! Metal-Kor and his menace are history, and somewhere out there… an ancient race has begun again…"

"Well, I'm just glad to be back home." Jak said.

"Well, rest up!" Samos said. "We've still got a lot to do… and so much time to do it in!"

"You know what's really strange?" Jak asked Samos quietly so that only he would hear. "I'm really Mar's last living descendant, and that would make me royal. But… I don't want any of that. Is that strange?"

"Certainly not." Samos answered. "You grew up a long way from any throne and you have no memory of the time when you did. You may be royalty by blood, but not in your heart."

"I wonder what Mar would've said to me." Jak wondered.

"Can't say. But you may meet Mar someday. He may be closer than you think." Samos said.

"But… Mar is dead. He died five-hundred years ago." Jak said.

"But you are alive. Mar lives on in you, as his direct descendant."

"That's just figure of speech." Jak said. "Mar's not alive."

"You know…" Sig said, having heard Jak's last remark about Mar not being alive. "My momma used to tell me bed-time stories about Mar when she'd tuck me in. She'd give me a nice glass of warm Yakkow milk… my little Poopsie-bear." Jak blinked in surprise.

"Bed-time stories? Warm milk? Poopsie-bear?" Daxter demanded. "Buddy, ya just blew your image!"

"So… what now?" Jak asked.

"We wait… until your next holy mission." Samos said simply.

"You're the designated driver." Sig said, handing Jak the Ruby Key to the City.

"Oh… no!" Jak said. "I am DONE with adventures! Besides, you'll tell me before something happens next time, right Samos?" Samos looked away innocently. "Right Samos?" Jak demanded.

"ARK! You never know what the future may hold!" Pecker said mysteriously.

"Wait! You know something, don't you, feather-breath!" Daxter said, pointing an accusing finger at Pecker.

"What? Me? I don't know anything!" Pecker said, a little too quickly. "We're just… guessing, right, Samos? Today… tomorrow… only time will tell."

"No! You're gonna tell! Right now!" Daxter leapt off Jak's shoulder and shot at Pecker like a big furry missile. What followed was a short amount of fighting.

Sig pulled the two apart. "Jak, my boy…" Samos said. "The future awaits!"

Jak looked around and saw Keira standing in the doorway of the Naughty Ottsel. "Excuse me." Jak said before walking over to her. He took her hand and drug her off to someplace more private. "What are you doing out here?" He asked. "You should be at the party."

"It wasn't much of a party without the guest of honor." Keira laughed, then she turned serious. "Can you believe Daxter managed to interrupt us again?" She asked.

"No." Jak said. "We're dating. The least he could do is let us kiss." He paused and then grinned. "What do you say to take two?"

"Keira laughed. "How could I ever say no to you?" They shared a kiss. And it was that night, under the multi-colored fireworks, that the separated young couple was finally reunited, to remain together forever…

* * *

**Fin!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you are thinking. What about Carla? What about this 'War' that you kept going on about. Well, rest assured that all questions will be answered in the sequel! Yes, it is responsible for more late-night brainstorming sessions than any other story that I've written! It will be my self-proclaimed masterpiece!
> 
> So, please check out the sequel 'War of the Champions', which will possibly be posted tomorrow! (Or over next week...) Be prepared for my most epic early work...


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